A surprising majority of donated clothing still ends up in landfill. What you can do about it.
How many times have you donated your old clothes with the intention that someone else would put it to use? What if we told you that according to the EPA, only 16 percent of donated clothes is used, and 84 percent ends up in landfill and incinerators. 7 million tons of textile waste end up in landfills. While you may think you are contributing to helping others, unfortunately that is not always the case. We are constantly going through a cycle of purchasing clothes and either tossing or donating them once it does not fit us or our style. There are many solutions to put old clothes to use instead of contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, and the landfill build up.
Textile production uses many resources, such as water. 2,700 liters of water are used to make a cotton shirt, and at least 200 years or more to decompose this shirt. Now imagine how much water, years and other material it would take for millions of clothing items that are in landfills, and those that will be donated in the future. Ideally we should be opening our eyes to the issues to help stop the greenhouse gas emissions, fast fashion, and help do our part to eliminate waste.
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/textile-recycling-facts-and-figures-2878122
Now, what would be the best solution for this? Research where you are donating. The salvation army recycles clothing it does not sell! Some retailers offer services to return unwanted clothes and recycle them instead of ending up in landfill. If you have clothing that no longer fits your style, consider Circular Fashion LA! We redesign to put to use your old clothing ! Turn your old dress into a two piece. Turn a long skirt into pants! The possibilities are endless and helps reduce the amount of clothes in landfill by giving the pieces in your closet a second chance and creating something for you !