On old clothes | By Umbra Fisk | Grist | Ask Umbra

On old clothes

05 Jul 2006

Got questions about the environment? Ask Umbra.

Dear Umbra,

I promise that I searched the archives before emailing you, so hopefully you haven't already answered this question. I'm wondering about the best way to dispose of old clothes and shoes -- the tired, well-loved, and much-worn items that thrift shops really don't want. I wear my clothes until the bitter end, and then I just don't know what to do with them. Old T-shirts make great rags, but then what?

Carrie Doring
Seattle, Wash.

Ask Umbra continues below

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Dearest Carrie,

I'm holding you up as an example of proper Umbra-writing etiquette. You searched the archives. Thank you.

I feel very sad about the piles of persons who write me and become frustrated that I never answer their question. Here are four reasons I may not answer a question: 1) I answered it already; 2) it has to do with trash, recycling, and/or plastic, which I'm currently trying to de-emphasize; 3) it is too specific to be interesting to most people; or 4) I haven't gotten around to it, and may never. I get a lot of mail. In fact, I'll tell you a little secret: I'm currently deleting emails if the question is answered in the FAQs. Helps me blow off steam. Plus, we just moved, and I didn't have room to pack all of your emails.

Where will they go when they're old and gray?

Photo: iStockphoto.

So your archivalicious (and very popular) question gets answered today despite having to do with trash. I haven't tried this, but the first idea that springs to mind is using natural fabric in the garden, either composting it or using it for mulch as one would use a burlap sack. Another idea I found on the worldwide webaroo is to call around to animal shelters to see if they could use your large rags for bedding or cleanup. (Shoes are a no-go for animals, though, just so's you know.)

It seems we have been ignorant about the true nature of textile recycling in the United States. I thought, and you thought, rags were landfilled in the modern throwaway society. Nope. There are domestic and foreign markets for our discards, to be reworn by people, or used as rags, or formed into recycled-content textiles. We don't get to these markets through our curbside recycling, but through donation sites which -- on the surface -- appear to take only our usable clothing. Goodwill, for instance, bales unusable clothing and sends it for recycling and reuse, which helps support their programs. Other similar organizations in your area may also do this. I recommend calling before assuming that they are prepared to take your discards, in case a local business is too small to broker them.

Your discards will either be reused by poor people in faraway countries, or shredded to fill car seats, or used as industrial-type wipes, or reworked into textiles. By the way, shredded used textile material that's ready to be integrated into a new item is called shoddy. Almost as good as cullet!

So, hurrah for our used clothes. It's not as desperate a trash situation as it would seem.

Shoddily (of course),
Umbra

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Please send Umbra any nagging question pertaining to the environment -- but first check out her FAQs!

The claims made in this column may not reflect the views of this magazine. Neither the magazine nor the author guarantees that any advice contained in this column is wise or safe. Please use this column at your own risk.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

Comments: (8 comments)

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Textile Messaging

Since I am an artist...and see things in aesthitic ways, I started taking old clothes...all sorts, and sewing/attaching cut and torn pieces of them to a piece of jute rope. I use a big needle and strong upholstery cord to make a string of clothing pieces, each irregular in shape, but about 8 to 9 inches high and maybe that wide. I incoporate fronts of shirts that include pockets, and knees that have been scuffed through. After you get seven to ten of these cloth pieces attached, see what they look like strung up...like prayer flags. I call them Urban Prayer Flags, and they can be used to decorate all sorts of areas, inside and out.

They are a sure sign that an Urban Peasant is nearby!

Kirk deFord Portland, Oregon cell: 503.781-4956

by ravenz at 2:44 PM on 05 Jul 2006

Recycling clothes

If your clothes are made of Capilene, they're made of recyclable polyester. Patagonia will recycle old Patagonia "base layers" ... yes kids - longjohns. Just drop them off at your local Patagonia store or mail them to:

Patagonia Service Center
Attention: Common Threads Recycling Program
8550 White Fir Street
Reno, Nevada 89523-8939

But please...wash 'em good first.

by amckibbin at 7:01 PM on 05 Jul 2006

tshirts to message quilts!!

Hey-- I see ads periodically (or you sould sew it yourself) to take the message portion of old Tshirts from , say, that Save the Redwoods Rally, or a Drain Lake Foul parade, etc, and stitch them into cool and memorable quilts!!!

Take that, recyclers. Then later it becomes the dog bed, and then....
Bruce P
Tucson, AZ

BPlenk Tucson, AZ

by bplenk at 8:11 AM on 06 Jul 2006

Urban Prayer Flags

Thanks, Ravenz! I love this and can't wait to do it!

An ounce of practice is worth twenty thousand tons of big talk. -Vivekananda

by karenc at 12:30 PM on 06 Jul 2006
[ Parent ]

not just flags & quilts

you can also get your old shirts recycled into new clothes, see: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/06/tshirt_underwea.php

and i'm sure there are many other creative ways to re-use fabric, like cutting it up and donating it to community centres, or schools for kids crafts.

by angelune at 1:50 PM on 06 Jul 2006

t-shirts in Africa, and athletic shoe recycling

Umbra's comment on t-shirts being reused by organizations like Goodwill reminded me of a documentary that was featured on PBS's Independent Lens a couple years ago, called "T-Shirt Travels."

The show argues that such charitable donations only perpetuate African poverty, since they squash local textile companies. And let's not talk about the energy used in shipping our junk overseas. Bummer!

And not to brag, but here in Boulder, Colorado, our Center for Hard to Recycle Materials accepts athletic shoes, which are recycled to make those spongy athletic surfaces, for things like outdoor tennis and basketball courts. If we could do it, I'm sure other communities could do this as well.

by REwonk at 9:28 AM on 07 Jul 2006

recycling old clothes

This is my first blog comment. I am new to
Grist. I am the recycling coordinator for our town and we recycle clothing in bins called Kiducation. They are a reputable charity that sells our clothes for recycling or shredding and our schools get a small percentage. They use the money they make towards children's charities.

Nike sneakers are recycled into running track material and their foundation makes grants to schools and towns for new or rebuilt running tracks.

Be careful of the yellow bins on private property that are labeled Planet Aid. If you google this organization you will see why. I am trying to follow the Grist rules by not disparaging outright certain organizations that only use 10% of their proceeds for charitable purposes.

Lastly, we have a new bin in town for books and audio and video tapes, magazines, etc. They vow to find new homes for these items and they also cut us a check for each 20ft container we fill. If they cannot find a new home for items, they make sure the items are recycled. They also are a reputable charitable organization and use any money they make with our recyclables to make donations to other charities.

Happy recycling. Remember that it is your tax dollars that pay the tipping fees to the landfills for everything you put into the waste stream. If concern for the earth does not move you, perhaps that financial incentive will.

Peace to all.
Mary McDonald

Mary McDonald

by grantwriterri at 7:14 AM on 11 Jul 2006

More ideas for recycling old clothes

Recently I came across this story about a woman in Minnesota who recyles, reuses, and resells old clothes. There are some good ideas mentioned in "A Genuine Rags-to-Riches Story" http://www.startribune.com/168/story/507746.html

by Joyatri at 8:28 AM on 11 Jul 2006

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