Spring is finally upon us. And with that comes the urge to de-clutter, start afresh and cultivate new seeds. But it can be difficult to get rid of items in an environmentally friendly way, especially if those good old charity bags arenโt a regular letterbox occurrence in your area.
Currently, over 30% of the UKs unwanted clothing ends up in landfill sites across the country. If youโre looking to dispose of unwanted clothes, toys or any other miscellaneous accessories, there are a few ways to do so without adding to the planetโs waste.
Start with an inventory
It makes sense to have a thorough sort through all your belongings and itemize into piles of what you want to keep, what can be passed on to someone else and whatโs seen better days. You might find that, even if not every part of an item can be reused, there might be some aspects that can still go to a good home.ย
Once youโve got organized, youโll need to have a think about what materials need to be recycled and what items can be continued to be enjoyed by someone else.ย
Give some of it away
Think about any friends or family members that might be able to make use of your old clothes or bric-a-brac. If youโve got childrenโs clothes, consider giving them to friends with younger families to make use of in the future or donate them, alongside any other items, to your favourite charity.
Swap
Another great option is to gather a group of friends and embark on a fashion swap. Make an evening of it and exchange items you no longer want for others you can make use of. Whateverโs left at the end can be donated to charity.ย
Sell it
Itโs likely that you could get money for some of you unwanted items through online pawnbroking or dedicated sites. There are multiple online platforms that offer ways to sell items that are no longer wanted. Youโll just need to ensure theyโre in good condition and be prepared to make a few trips to the post office.
Buy Sustainably
Commit to choosing sustainable items in the future to reduce waste and reliance on fast fashion. You might find you end up paying a bit more than you would for those produced in bulk, but youโll likely get more for your money in terms of time and quality.
Select a small number of well-made items such as clothes, jackets and footwear to create a capsule style wardrobe. While youโll have less to choose from, youโll be more motivated to wear each piece more than once.
