Haven’t we all heard of ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle’? Remember the times when we least cared to follow it? You helped the cause knowingly or unknowingly every single time you threw plastic bottles inside the blue bin. Let’s consider the textile industry. How many times did you think of putting an end to your clothing shopping spree? People have a habit of buying clothes in bulk. As a result, the fashion industry is battling with overflowing mills. Here are a few reasons why you should recycle your clothes.
It Helps Save Landfill Space
Landfills are detrimental in several ways. Landfills do not only impact the environment, but also the public health and the municipal budgets of cities and urban settlements in a negative way. Going by statistical records, almost 11150 tons of textiles got landfilled in 2017. Imagine how much space could have been utilized for something perfect for the environment. When you recycle clothes and other items, you help in reducing landfill costs considerably. These costs are a big reason why municipal budgets outgrow the actual costs of running a city.
Reach Out to People Who Are in Need
The real reason why many people choose to recycle clothes is that there are people who are in real need for good clothes. Imagine you are donating to a non-profit that takes recycled clothes (like GreenDrop). This humanitarian act of yours can support four different organizations- the American Red Cross, Military Order of Purple Heart, National Federation of the Blind, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Philadelphia. Your clothes are sold at discounted rates, and the proceeds go to these charitable and humanitarian organizations.
Doing So Saves Energy
Manufacturing clothes uses a vast amount of energy. Whatever clothing you’ve adorned has undergone a very complex manufacturing technique that utilizes a good amount of water, electricity, and energy sources.
By recycling clothes, you can save a lot of energy by eliminating the need to manufacture more clothes. In much the same way, you play a key role in minimizing the volume of what we call ‘fast fashion’ when buying recycled clothes.
Simplicity Is the Key
Not many would realize this, but one of the most significant reasons to recycle your clothes is for its simplicity. Donating clothes takes only a few seconds more compared to the time you take to chuck them in the trash bin. Think of the help you’re doing for yourself and the planet when you resort to recycling. It makes it even easier to drive and drop the clothes or even set up any donation pick up. There are plenty of non-profits and community-based organizations that you can take recourse to. Just pack the clothes in boxes or small bags and choose the time for pick-up.
Costly Consumerism Takes a Backseat
Over the last few years, many concerned citizens have switched to what we call a minimalist lifestyle. While everyone might not be comfortable with the idea, but living on less is an ideal that deserves applause – especially when it comes to consumerism. Materialism does not necessarily lead to happiness, and the moment people realize the same, one of the first things to forego is clothing. As soon as people learn the art of shopping less, they understand the importance of sticking to a minimal lifestyle. Buying recycled clothing means recycling clothing by ourselves and not wasting money unnecessarily.
How Can You Recycle Your Clothes?
There are quite a few ways to reuse and recycle your clothes. First off, learn how to donate your garments and get the contacts of the local recycling service providers. Turn your old clothing into some items of daily use, like cleaning rags. This will help you save money, and you can keep your home clean too. You can also make crafts with these old clothes. In case you’re not a crafter yourself, give the clothes to someone you know will make good use of it.
Next time, when you go on a shopping spree, consider and assess the environmental impact of buying clothes that you do not need. Eventually, it might dawn upon you how textile recycling should be a natural aspect of life. And how that is not just sustainable for the business in the long run but also for nature.