Shopper seeks advice after donation shops refuse to take their worn-out clothing: 'Does anyone have recent experience?'

Finding the right thing to do with your worn-out clothes can require a lot of effort. One person took to Reddit for help with where they can recycle textile waste. 

They posted to the r/AskUK subreddit for advice on how they might be able to avoid tossing their worn-out clothing. They said they have been decluttering and found themselves unsure how to handle things the charity shop won't take. 

"Does anyone have recent experience in getting rid of articles of clothing that truly cannot be donated without just binning it?" they asked.

Textile waste is a huge issue across the world. With fast fashion churning out clothing quicker than consumers can fathom, we are virtually drowning in unworn clothes. In the United States, Earth.org found the average American consumer tosses out 81.5 pounds of clothes every year — part of an estimate that over 11 million tons of textile waste ends up in landfills.

This staggering amount of waste is often shipped overseas, where it can clog waterways and beaches in places such as Ghana. While folks donating clothes may have the best intentions, the reality is organizations including Goodwill aren't able to keep up with the deluge. 

Luckily, there are some options when it comes to recycling your old underwear. Companies such as Subset accept clothing in nearly any state and will give you store credit for new undies. 

Trashie's Take Back Bag is another way to get cash for your old clothes. The brand will give you a gift card to several retailers of your choice. 

In certain cities, you may be able to find textile recycling bins or services. According to a 2023 study on the issue, PromoLeaf found that "governments in 115 out of 151 cities (or 76%) operate a recycling program or initiative aimed at reducing clothing and apparel waste."

While there is clearly still work to do to manage how much clothing is thrown away, it's heartening to see so many municipalities working to curb the issue. 

🗣️ Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics?

🔘 Giving me money back 💰

🔘 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕

🔘 Making it as easy as possible ⚡

🔘 Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️

🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

On Reddit, commenters had plenty of ideas for how the OP might be able to recycle their old clothes, and some people had concerns over knowing what really happens to their donated clothes.

"For some items like sheets with a tear or towels with bobbles … it may be worth contacting a local rescue, especially wildlife rescues," one commenter suggested. 

Another person added, "Against Breast Cancer has a bra recycling scheme which might be worth checking out."

"It's getting really difficult … because there is no reliable information about what happens if the clothes are unusable," someone else said. "I don't want to put stuff in landfill if I can possibly avoid it, but it seems unavoidable, especially with underwear."

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.