As the seasons change, it may be time to update your wardrobe or invest in a few new pieces for a special trip. If you have an entire wardrobe of items that you are not using, you may wish to clear the way for new items. The question is, what do you do with the clothes you currently have but you do not need or that no longer fit you?
It’s estimated that about 12 per cent of a woman’s wardrobe is inactive, meaning it has not been used in more than a year. More so, each and every year, people toss out 37kg of clothing. While that’s an impressive amount for use, consider that each year, 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced and placed into the rubbish to be sent to landfills around the world. Imagine what could happen if that material could be used for something else.
When you consider the balance of keeping your wardrobe fresh and your closet organised, remember that it’s also important to keep items from heading to the rubbish. Here are a few ways you can do just that.
Keep Them and Upcycle Them
One of the options you may have is to upcycle your items. That is to take items you no longer wish to wear in the state they are in right now and update them for other use. You can use the fabric from a jacket, for example, to replace a cushion on a chair. You may be able to use the fabric from a flowing gown to create a dress for someone else.
Give to Charity
There’s no reason not to donate the clothing you no longer wish to wear to a charity that can use them. Some organisations even come to you to pick up these items. They can then use those clothing items to give back to people in the community who can use them but may not be able to afford them. A charity clothes collection may be the best way to get rid of items that are still in good condition but no longer fit your needs.
Give to an Animal Shelter
Sometimes, your clothing is not really ideal for other people to wear either. It could have a few holes or may be worn thin. That’s especially true of children’s clothing, which tends to get a lot of work. In this case, contact a local animal shelter to see if they can use these items. They can often provide animals with soft places to sleep, and those animals definitely don’t care about stains.
By taking a few extra minutes, it may be possible for you to take those items from your wardrobe that no longer offer the look, feel, or function that they did and to make them far more special and beneficial. You just have to do the hard work of going through your wardrobe to get rid of those pieces to get started in doing your part to protect the environment.
