Why You Should Never Throw Your Clothes In The Trash (And How To Get Rid Of Them)

10,000 to 20,000 tons. This is the number of textile products thrown away in France every year. It is estimated that 85% of clothing ends up in the trash, and the average French person throws away 12 kg of clothes, shoes and household linen every year. Huge numbers that confirm the unfortunately well-known observation. after the oil industry, the fashion industry is one of the most polluting in the world. If the trend calls for a fall, the closets are still full, often with lots of new clothes just waiting to be given a second life.

Used and damaged clothing is also available. More complicated than reselling or giving them away. But what to do with it? First of all, ban the idea of ​​throwing them in the trash. Clothing is a source of highly polluting waste. discarded household waste, they are difficult to recycle. However, almost all textiles can be. Here are some ideas to transform them.

Use containers

Textiles are not necessarily recycled into textiles. We can create sound or thermal insulation of buildings from shredded clothing. Sneakers turn into tennis court flooring. Some of the clothes with holes and damage are also recycled into rags. The only condition is to leave them at the recycling station on the street.

These textile containers are large boxes (gray, white or green) placed on sidewalks. Sorting is then carried out by a collection organization that redistributes clothing and accessories that are still in good condition to associations. Some of the clothes that can still be used are destined for export abroad (in Africa or Eastern Europe), and finally, the damaged pieces are sent to recycling centers.

Sell ​​on the Internet

Used T-shirts can even find buyers on resale sites. There are many platforms like Vinted, Leboncoin, Vestiaire Collective or even Depop that are used every day. Easy-to-use apps that allow you to easily and quickly resell clothes you no longer want without going through the bin. And contrary to popular opinion, worn or damaged clothes can be of interest to the buyer. Perhaps like a young designer looking for vintage clothing at a lower price for a potential art project. Or a collector of vintage pieces?

Bring life back

Do you have little time, a creative streak and the desire to transform an old tablecloth yourself? These tips are ideal for bringing textiles back into everyday life.

Furoshiki reinvents gift wrapping
This traditional Japanese technique allows pieces of fabric to be turned into reusable gift wrap or to carry everyday items such as small groceries. Sheets, tablecloths, curtains… and a pair of scissors are enough for the transformation. You can find many folding techniques on YouTube that are easy to apply.

Tawashi, a DIY sponge
Old socks, tights, t-shirt long sleeves, leggings… These old clothes can be turned into a sponge using the Tawashi technique, which is traditionally used with palm leaves. And thus it will be possible to replace the industrial models, the ecological impact of which is heavy, in particular those based on synthetic resin. You don’t need to know how to knit to make them, there are different ways. Tavashi sponge is knitted, crocheted or crocheted, it is easy to make by following the tutorials available on the web.

Donate to the artists

It’s pretty silly, but we don’t always think about it. If more and more luxury houses donate pieces of fabric to fashion students who regularly seek out textiles for their various projects, the same can be true of individuals. How should it be done? Post ads on social media, the Geev app, encouraging individuals to make individual donations or contacting fashion schools.