Textile Recycling

Did you know you can recycle textiles? Things like stained or worn-out clothing, single socks and mitts, and basically anything clean that isn’t in good enough condition to donate. 

Why recycle clothing instead of just tossing it in the garbage? Due to the “fast fashion” trend in recent decades, landfills are overflowing with clothing which produces methane gas as it decomposes, adding to the climate change crisis.

There is a lot of great info online about this issue from a consumer standpoint, but here are a couple of good articles focusing on the waste end of things:

• The Environmental Crisis Caused by Textile Waste
• Statistics About Fast Fashion Waste

What can you do to help with the fast fashion environmental problem?

Besides educating yourself on this issue, here are a few things you can start doing:

• Make more informed choices regarding your clothing purchases moving forward
• Buy used clothing as much as possible
• Swap clothes with friends, family, and neighbours to avoid buying new or become an active participant (as a giver and a recipient) in local Freecycle or Buy Nothing groups
• When you are no longer wearing clothing items, give them away or donate to thrift stores
• For clothing that is not in good enough condition to donate (worn out, ripped, stained, missing matching parts, etc.), send it for textile recycling instead of tossing it in the garbage

Every little bit helps!

To save volunteers time, if you have several items for textile recycling, put them in a bag and label the bag “Textile Recycling” so they don’t have to sort it with all the rest of the clothing. 

Where can I bring textiles for recycling?

Here are some great local thrift stores/charities where you can bring your textile recycling:

• Mission Thrift Store (locations across Canada) – I drop items off at the Mississauga location at Dixie and Dundas regularly – you can get credit for donating which adds up to discounts in the store
• Salvation Army Thrift Stores (scroll down for a great video about the life of a sweater)
• Safetynet Children & Youth Charities (in Oakville)  
• Goodwill (mark it “textile recycling”) – they also have a commercial recycling program  

If you’re not from the Mississauga area, you can find a local place you can donate clothing and textile recycling while supporting a charity here: National Association for Charitable Textile Recycling.

For more decluttering tips, check out my 31 Days Easy Decluttering Series!

Do you recycle your textiles? What steps can you take to reduce your impact on the fast fashion trend?

If you need help decluttering, contact me for in-person organizing services in the Mississauga area, or virtual organizing services anywhere else.

Happy decluttering!