I think it’s safe to say that fashion trends live and die every year. But what happened to all of the clothes you bought years ago? Maybe some of it ended up on the racks of Goodwill, pushed into a graveyard of shoulder pads and ruffles, but where did the rest of it go? What about your favorite Hollister top from seventh grade? Maybe you donated it or maybe you just trashed it.
The problem is that while 95 percent of clothes can be recycled, around 85 percent of all clothes still end up clogging our landfills. On average, people trash around 81 pounds of clothes and textiles each year, which is roughly the equivalent of a couple of very fashionable toddlers. Now, I’m not saying you should keep wearing your Juicy sweats from 2007, but you could definitely get in contact with your local recycling companies to see where to drop off your old clothes; or you could simply donate them to a local thrift store. Recycled clothes can be turned into new fabrics, cleaning rags or simply just repurposed.
Recycled clothes are the future because it’s sustainable and it’s fashionable. Big brands like H&M, Levi’s and North Face encourage you to donate your used clothes to their local stores to be recycled. H&M even releases a “Conscious” collection with clothing made from sustainable products each year.
Recycled clothes don’t have be made from just recycled cloth either; they can also be made from recycled plastics too. A company called Repreve has teamed up with different top brands like Roxy, Adidas and Fossil to create clothes made from recycled plastic bottles. You can find a pair of colorful board shorts on Roxy’s website or a geometric backpack on Fossil’s website, all made from recycled bottles.
Unfortunately, a lot of companies haven’t jumped on the sustainability band wagon yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t become a part of the movement. Your local thrift stores are a treasure trove of distinctive and affordable clothes that are staying out of our landfills. Luckily for us, fashion always comes back in style. Fashion from the ’90s has taken over 2017, and a lot of these clothing staples can be found lodged in between racks at the Salvation Army.
Some ’90s fashion to look for to stay on trend would be anything velvet,a few see-through pieces and denim skirts or overalls. Don’t be afraid to look through the men’s section either; you can find some insanely cute oversized denim jackets and tops there. Thrifting is a way to recycle clothing, but it also separates your closet apart from everyone else’s. Unique clothes can make for a unique person, not to mention that vintage clothes will take your Instagram to an entirely new level.
Recycled clothes are becoming a necessity for all of us. We’re continually wasting perfectly good material for no reason. There are so many options to recycle the clothes we’ve grown out of loving. You can donate them to a family in need or recycle them at your local recycling spot. Fashion is an expression of who we are as powerful women, so why shouldn’t it showcase our love for our planet too?