We live in a time of fast moving fashion. Clothes are often seen as highly disposable with retailers like Primark and Topshop responding quickly to new fashion trends and bringing them quickly to market at affordable prices. For fashionistas, this means making room in their wardrobes and disposing of clothes, whether they’re worn out or not. A third of old clothes end up in the bin – that’s 350,000 tonnes of used textiles heading to landfill every year. But it’s possible to dispose of clothes in a much more environmentally friendly way.
Sell
Clothes in good condition can be sold on sites like eBay, Gumtree or Facebook. If you’ve got a taste for higher-end fashion, there are specific websites such as Vestiaire Collective for selling designer goods. Sometimes baby clothes are barely worn before tiny tots outgrow them, and there’s an excellent re-sell market for baby clothes including local NCT Nearly New Sales.
Donate
Charity shops will gladly take decent clothes off your hands and sell them in their shops. Chances are, your local high street will have a good selection of charity shops. So choose the cause you’d like to support and head down there with a bag of clothes in good condition and do your bit for charity.
Swap
Sometimes known as ‘swishing’, you can organise a party to swap clothes with friends so you all end up with some new outfits. For top tips on organising a party, loveyourclothes.org.uk has some excellent suggestions. You can also organise a group on Facebook for clothes swaps.
Recycle
Much-loved items can be damaged or stained so they need disposing of in other ways. That’s where clothes recycling bins come in. These large containers are often found in supermarkets and carparks and are the best place for very damaged clothes. The clothes are sold and shredded and the fibres are made into new items. Rabbit issupporting Worthing Community Chest with their clothes recycling bins in the area. All proceeds from the sales of clothes from the recycling bins support local Worthing organisations.
Repair
Before disposing of clothes too hastily, ask yourself if all the items really need is a little TLC. Fixing zips, replacing buttons and repairing holes can give a new lease of life to clothes. The cost of repair can often be cheaper than replacing an item and it all helps reduce waste in the long run too.
Rabbit is committed to reducing waste and supporting recycling efforts. Contact Rabbit today for more information skip hire, recycling and plant hire. Reach us on 01903 762020 or email info@rabbitgroup.co.uk.
