Breaking up with your old or unworn clothes can earn you massive rewards — here's how you can cash in

Whether or not your personal style has changed recently, chances are that you have at least a few pieces of clothing sitting in your closet that you no longer wear. 

Fortunately, a service called Trashie gives you the chance to responsibly recycle those pieces — and get rewarded for doing it.

How does Trashie work?

Lifestyle and fashion influencer Ericka Ajanae' (@erickaajanae) shared how she used Trashie in a video. "Sometimes you have to break up with your favorite jeans," she explained, "and the Take Back Bag from Trashie makes decluttering really easy."

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A post shared by Ericka Ajanae' (@erickaajanae)

The model is incredibly simple, Ericka shared. "You pay $20 for the bag and fill it with clothes. They will sort and recycle it for you!"

And after the bag has been returned, she said, "You earn TrashieCash to shop for your favorite brands through their site with every bag you recycle." 

Specifically, the Take Back Bag offers the equivalent of $30 in rewards that can be redeemed from a number of partners. You could get movie tickets, skincare, food, travel deals, and more.

Trashie isn't limited to just clothing, either. Their bags can also handle accessories, including purses, shoes, hats, home linens, and fabric scraps. They even offer a Tech box, which can accommodate laptops, phones, cables, and cords.

Commenters were excited about the concept. "I love this," one said. "That's an awesome service." 

Another agreed, calling it "such a great idea!"

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.

Why should I use Trashie?

There are several personal benefits to using a service like Trashie, including both the decluttering and the rewards. With each bag priced at just $20 — including shipping — and rewards equivalent to $30, using a Take Back Bag is practically equivalent to earning money while freeing up space.

"Trashie makes recycling clothes meaningful and impactful for the world around us," Ericka said, "and you feel good knowing that you're making a difference."

For environmental enthusiasts, Trashie's website shares some compelling statistics. To date the company has successfully diverted 4.5 million pounds of waste from the landfill, saved 500 million gallons of freshwater, and diverted 50 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It has also managed to salvage and redistribute over 9 million clothing items.

Ericka concluded, "Now that is a win for us and the environment." 

Are there similar programs to Trashie?

Many brands have a similar model to Trashie's recycling program, offering store credit or rewards for returning used clothes and accessories.

For example, the North Face has a program called Clothes the Loop, which offers store credit towards future purchases of up to $50 per returned item. 

Similarly, brands like Madewell and Levi's jeans participate in a denim recycling program called Blue Jeans Go Green. Through that program, customers can mail in their old jeans for free in order to ensure their cotton fibers are responsibly recycled — and they get credit towards a new pair.

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