It’s an annoying but unavoidable situation. You sift through your wardrobe and rediscover some old favourite items, only to notice they are no longer wearable. Fraying seams, random holes and bleach marks all make garments unfit for wearing and for charity. So, what can you do? Can you really recycle those favourite threads? The answer is yes, you can. Here are just a few ways how you can make use of old clothes and stop them going to a landfill site:
- Cushions – If you have some cushions that are looking a tad deflated, use scraps of old clothes to stuff them and give them more life.
- Cleaning – Turn your old clothes into handy house-cleaning items! Old rags make great cloths, dusters and wipers.
- Local Council & Clothes Recycling Banks – Some local councils offer clothes recycling with their rubbish collection service, so check with them. If not then look online for your nearest clothes recycling bank, you would be surprised the amount of uses they can find for your old threads to stop them ending up in a landfill site.
- Event Memorabilia – Perhaps your old clothes hold precious memories. Old t-shirts from your favourite gigs, items from events you attended on holiday or your favourite theatre show. Why not cut out and frame the main design or sew it onto a cushion or pillow case? The memory will live on!
- Repairs – If your newer clothes suffer a tear then turn to your old rags and get creative. You never know when an extra bit of material could save a pair of jeans!
Recycling clothes instead of simply binning them saves them piling up at a landfill site which helps the environment. It also means the clothes will not be incinerated which pollutes the atmosphere. So, you can do your bit for the environment at the same time as clearing out your wardrobe and getting creative!