decluttering next steps
You’ve done the hard work of sorting through your clothes, high-grading and choosing your favorites; now there’s a heap of items you’re ready to let go of and… Where the heck do they go? You don’t want to send them to the landfill, I hope, so where do you turn to move them on responsibly?
It’s a sad fact that drop-off stations like Goodwill have been overwhelmed with clothing donations, to the point where many tons of clothing (much of it fast fashion and cheaply made) end up being shipped overseas where we ask them to become other peoples’ problem. The images from those countries, where literal mountains of clothes are picked over by resellers, dumped into waste zones, or burned, are pretty horrific.
So we don’t want to make our cast-offs someone else’s problem. What do we do? With a little research, you can put together your own set of resources for responsible recycling of your clothing and fabric. Let’s talk about a few!
Swap with Friends: having a community of like-minded makers is a joy for so many reasons – we share ideas, tips, inspiration… and we can even share our leftovers and hand-me-alongs! I have a cohort of knitting and sewing buddies who get together every few months or so, and we’ve started bringing stash yarn, fabric, books and patterns, to share and pass along. And once a year, I attend a retreat with almost a hundred knitters; one large room at our venue is dedicated to de-stashing. Anyone can put out bags of yarn for sale – I inevitably bring home some goodies, but usually far less than I take to sell.
Repurpose: If you have large enough chunks of fabric, or a substantial amount of leftover yarn, you can of course work them into new projects. Worn t-shirts can be cut down and made into cute baby clothes or swaddling cloths; leftover yarn can be crocheted into granny squares for blankets, or stitched over to make couched embroidery details … it’s a great way to get creative, especially with younger people who might not have the resources to dive head-first into a craft.
Sell by Consignment: consignment clothing stores are a treasure trove and a great resource. Here, you can create an account and drop off gently-used clothing; when a shopper purchases an item, a percentage of the sales price goes into your account. I love moving along clothing this way: it gives me a little bit of my purchase price back, taking some of the sting out of letting go of an item (if you’re the type who’s all too aware of the ‘sunk cost’). Consignment or secondhand stores are also a great way to experiment with new styles, since the prices are generally lower than full retail. So if you’re trying a new shape or expanding your color palette, check consignment first!
Craft Supply Resale: This is an interesting segment of the resale sector that I’ve only recently been able to tap into, If you live near a university town or in a larger city, you might be able to find these organizations, who collect donations of craft supplies (fabric, skeins of yarn, sewing notions, patterns, even handmade clothing items) and sell them along to the community or re-use them in community-minded craft projects. When I have larger off-cuts of fabric, substantial leftovers from skeins of yarn, or odd chunks of interfacing or polyfill, I bring them to my local craft re-use center. And I’ll often leave with a chunk of upholstery fabric, perfect for my next bag-making project! These centers also sometimes offer classes, which can be a great way to either teach what you know or to learn a new skill.
Recycle: Inevitably, you’ll have a chunk of fabric that’s too small to make anything out of – little bitty off-cuts that no one could make even doll’s clothes out of. What to do? I was thrilled when I heard of an organization called Ridwell, which collects many different categories of waste that otherwise can’t be recycled by local solid waste collection. One of their categories is ‘Threads’ - you collect your bits of fabric in one of their collection bags, and it goes to one of their donation partners who can turn the fabric waste into useful new products, like insulation!
I’m so thrilled that I’ve been able to build a full ‘food chain’ for the making supplies I can’t use: what I can’t repurpose for my own needs goes on offer to my friends first, and then to the craft re-use outlet; worn clothing that needs to be retired goes to Ridwell along with my off-cuts from my sewing projects … this way, there’s very little (usually nothing) that ever needs to hit the landfill!
