how to properly recycle & reuse your clothing.

On my Instagram, a few weeks back, I asked my mutuals what I should write about in my ''fashion-focused, eco-aware" blog! I was met with five great suggestions, and today, 8/11/26, I am writing off of 'reginareazrr' 's suggestion of writing about how upcycling clothing the wrong way causes them to end up in landfills.

I think this is super important to write about, because as someone who was born circa 2008, I have been told my whole life "reduce, reuse, recycle!" whether it be on a poster with the green circular triangle with the arrows, trying to be an environmentally conscious Alpha and Omega symbol. or just over and over in the classroom or on TV or on social media. My generation is being failed, because yes, the message is being put out there, but no one is being told how to recycle, how to reuse your clothing. With the sudden surge of DIY culture, there has been a massive influx of how to create things out of other things, such as repurposing jeans into a shoulder bag. 

According to the plasticpollutioncoalition, most plastic that is thrown in the recycling bin is NOT actually recyclable. When you take into account how much of clothing is made out plastic, such as polyester, nylon, acrylic, and spandex, you realize that basically any clothing being thrown away is just going to a landfill. Also, when washing any clothing made out of these specific materials, millions of microplastics are released and washed down the drain to further pollute the ecosystem. Then, think about major corporations, such as Burberry, Nike, H&M, Urban Outfitters, who have, historically,  thrown away (whether that be via burning, shredding, or just dumping in a landfill) their clothing stock to protect exclusivity or prevent resale instead of just donating it to those in need. Although some of these corporations have pledged to stop, it still doesn't mean that there isn't pollution being caused as a result of how and what their clothing is made out of. 

It's really disheartening to realize that fashion is a huge WASTE. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, whether you take him jokingly or seriously, that "being perfectly well-dressed gives one a tranquility that no religion can bestow", referring to the sense of euphoria caused by retail 'therapy'. However, in this day and age, are we still able to enjoy fashion whilst being aware of how much harm it causes the environment? Do the people who spend $500 on Shein and record their hauls on  TikTok in their large McMansions realize what harm they're buying into? Or do the bourgeoisie just not care? It's easy to not care about the air quality in China when you're living in a suburb in New Jersey or Arizona. How much does it take for them to care?

1. you can send in your clothing to mail-in services that'll repurpose them; Trashie, Retold Recycling. Unfortunately, there's no pony express that'll get rid of the CO2 emissions from the plane these packages'll be taking, but you're better than a billionaire who just flies on a private jet everywhere.

2. you can sell on Depop; you just take a photo and list and someone'll snatch them up; use your imagination when describing your items. 

3. Just donate to those in need, whether it be Goodwill, a local church, or a clothing drive. They need it more than the landfill does. 

4. Repurpose your clothing; here's an awesome website I found but you can also find inspiration on Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, etc.

hopeless, Louisa