How to keep your discarded clothes out of landfill
Although almost 100% of textiles are recyclable, approximately only 15% of our damaged and discarded fabrics are recovered for recycling in Australia. Additionally, about 6000kg of our textile waste is thrown away every ten minutes. Every kilogram of textiles sent to landfills produces 3-4kg of greenhouse gas emissions, meaning that every 10 minutes, we are releasing at least 18,000kg of greenhouse gas into our atmosphere from clothing alone.
Luckily, there are ways that we can actively prevent this and fulfil our individual responsibilities of protecting the earth for future generations.
shop mindfully
Most importantly, we can introduce more conscious shopping behaviours into our lives. This includes:
Buying less and creating a capsule wardrobe
Purchasing timeless pieces over trend pieces
Supporting small, ethical and sustainable businesses
Staying away from fast fashion and buying good quality pieces that will last
Buying second hand
Using what’s already in your wardrobe
Contacting larger retailers about their sustainability and fair work efforts, etc.
Mend broken items
No expert sewing experience is required to mend a broken garment, simply learning a few common, easy stitches can come in handy. I recommend learning the running stitch, backstitch, invisible stitch and slipstitch, for hand sewing techniques that will prove effective for most mending projects. It is also handy to learn how to sew on a button and how to remove stains. Mending clothes when they break rather than throwing them out keeps your clothing out of landfill and is an opportunity to learn a new skill. There are plenty of online tutorials to get you started. If however you feel unconfident in your sewing ability and wish to outsource this task, send it to your local clothing alterations business.
Pass it on
Clothing you no longer wear or fit can be passed on to someone else. This is suitable for clothing items that are still wearable and of decent quality (no holes or stains). Some ways you can do this include:
Passing it on to a friend or family member
Holding a clothing swap with your friends, where you can trade your unwanted clothes
Selling it on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay or Depop
Taking it to your local charity shop bin
Make something new
Upcycling broken or unused clothes can be a fun project that keeps them out of landfill. I recommend using Pinterest for some great upcycling ideas. Some ideas to get you started may include making the following items out of the fabric from your old clothing:
Surfboard bag
http://theessentialsclub.com/blog-posts/diy-boardbag
Tote bag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA_yrggyPG8
Scrunchie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjS3_IqoF9I
Face mask
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhGUBjK10DI
Plant holder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYxhklknKBk
Compost it
If your unwanted clothing is made from 100% natural materials, such as cotton, hemp, bamboo, wool etc, then it can be composted!
Recycle it
Another way to keep your clothing out of landfill is to recycle. Visit the following websites for recycling services.
Upparel
Upparel accepts swimwear, wetsuits, clothing and more to then be donated to charities, upcycled into new items or recycled into new materials. They offer Australian-wide collection and give you a $25 store credit for their shop when you book.
Australian Clothing Recyclers
https://australianclothingrecyclers.com.au/
Australian Clothing Recyclers offer free clothing collection direct to your door. Accepted items include wearable items of clothing and accessories. They then send the clothing to villages in the pacific or donate them for use as industrial cleaning rags.