With ClothesAid stating that “350,000 tonnes...of used but still wearable clothing goes to landfill in the UK every year”, Radar decided to look at three simple ways we can reuse our clothes and help save the environment.
With ClothesAid stating that “350,000 tonnes...of used but still wearable clothing goes to landfill in the UK every year”, Radar decided to look at three simple ways we can reuse our clothes and help save the environment.
Sell
What’s better than earning some extra cash from selling an old pair of jeans you never really wore? With many apps like eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Depop now offering ways to sell unwanted clothes without a fee, it’s extremely easy to declutter your storage space and make some savings too. To increase your chances of selling make sure to follow advice on e-commerce. The three main top tips however are to take a well-lit photo (you don’t need an excellent camera, only excellent lighting); sell items according to the season (e.g. a jumper is more likely to sell in winter than a pair of shorts) and write a detailed description of the item (including its material, size and any flaws).
Donate
Another alternative to helping save your clothes from going to landfill is to donate them to charities. The items may end up being sold in a charity shop to raise donations or go directly to help service users. Charity shops are a great way of combining sustainability whilst also helping a cause in your local community. From supporting Cancer Research UK to Barnardo’s, there are some truly worthwhile causes to look into donating your clothes to.
Update
There are various ways that you can turn an old item into something new. This includes turning a t-shirt into a vest top by cutting the sleeves off (cut along the seam), cutting jeans into a pair of shorts, tie-dying or by adding some fabric patches to an item. Changing an item can help show your personality, especially with your decision on the fabric material and tie-dye colours. It’s relatively simple to update an item, with a variety of affordable dyes and patches available online.
Hopefully, by reading this article, you will be inspired to give your clothes a new lease of life. If you don’t really like an item anymore then don’t just throw it out, instead think of these three simple and effective methods that will help save our environment: sell, donate, update.