With every new season, the temptation to get rid of half of our closet is ever so real. It’s great to minimize the amount of excess we have in our closets, but it’s also important to look at where we are putting our excess (and try to reduce it in the first place by following these simple steps). Here are our top recommendations for recycling clothes.
Terracycle’s Zero-Waste Boxes
Drop-off Bins and Locations
Depending on what part of the country you’re in, the local drop-off bin program may vary widely. They can often be found in parking lots and in public community centers like libraries or churches. Some examples include PlanetAid’s bright yellow bins, which you can find in 19 states (or request one). Earth911 also has an extensive recycling bin locator with locations all over the U.S.
Buy a box
Both Terracycle and ThredUp have services that allow you to buy a box which you can fill with old clothes and waste. Once it’s sent back to the company it will be processed and broken down into reusable materials, at which point the cloth can be made into new clothing or other items like washcloths or fabric lining.
New York City Specific
Farmer’s Markets
New York in particular has a ton of great recycling options. The easiest are the drop-off bins located in many farmer’s markets, sponsored by GrowNYC and Wearable Collections. These organizations collect textiles and other waste. Once the clothes are dropped off, they are sent to sorting facilities where they are sold or donated as second-hand or recycled into cloth or fiber.
Wearable Collections will also do home pickups if you meet the minimum number of bags required. While Wearable Collections does operate outside of NYC as well, its drop off programs do not.
Helpsy
Helpsy has drop-off bins and free home pickups of textiles in certain parts of NYC. Clothes are sorted, with the best quality clothing being sold to thrift-stores and the lowest being recycled into other items.
What about in-store recycling programs like at H&M?
Fast-fashion stores like H&M often have recycling programs that promise to turn old garments into new ones, but they are usually not very effective. For one, most cheap garments are made out of blended fabrics- think 40% rayon, 40% polyester, and 20% cotton. While technology is being developed to separate these fabrics, right now the cheaper and more time-effective option is to simply send most of these items overseas where they are thrown into landfills or burned. However, it’s totally possible the store you’re thinking of really does recycle. If that’s the case, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
