The Benefits of Recycling Clothing

At SCRAP our goal is to help reduce New York’s textile waste and contribute to a sustainable fashion industry by diverting used clothing from landfills. We know that the textile recycling industry is not perfect and there is a lot of room for improvement before recycling is a truly sustainable option for clothing. However, we believe that the more attention and resources we put into recycling technology, the more viable and broadly accessible that option will become.

Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels

There are multiple benefits that recycling used clothing brings. Here is a list of the most prominent ones:

1. Recycling clothes reduces pollution and environmental harm

Natural fiber materials (cotton, linen, wool, etc) that are tossed become methane factories that spew greenhouse gases into our atmosphere and contribute to climate change. The decomposition of natural textile fibers happens in the absence of oxygen (think clothes that are packed in trash bags and/or buried under other waste) when microorganisms start breaking them down into organic material, thereby releasing byproducts such as methane.

Polyesters and other manmade materials, on the other hand, take up to 200 years to decompose, which means that they will pollute the land and water they inhabit for multiple lifetimes! Trimmings like sequins or fibers such as spandex also take hundreds of years to break down, which means that they are virtually non-biodegradable. Since these materials are literally made to last an eternity from a human perspective, we think they should be used for eternity as well! There’s really no excuse for throwing away polyesters and plastic. All manmade and petrol-based materials should be recycled and repurposed and we should all think twice about contributing to demand the mass production of these materials. 

2. Recycling clothes saves landfill space

New Yorkers throw out 200,000 tons (400m lbs) of clothing and textiles every year, according to nyc.gov. What’s more, it is estimated that consumer textile waste occupies about 5-6% of our designated landfill space each year. That is a LOT of space we want and can save by putting our used clothes back in circulation instead of putting them in the trash!

3. Recycling creates space in your apartment or home

New Yorkers rarely have space and time to deal with clutter. Swap the clutter and distraction of an overcrowded wardrobe with space and simplicity. As fall approaches, take a look at our 5 Closet Cleanout Tips for Summer to Fall Transition post and click below to schedule a pick-up. We will do the rest!