Food, clothing, and shelter are the necessities of life, yet a major chunk of the world's population is deprived of these necessities. Clothing is not just a means of covering one's body; decent clothing also protects a person from hostile environmental conditions and gives them a sense of dignity. As of 2023, more than 92 million tonnes of textile waste is created every year and the textile industry is the second most polluted industry in the world.

In the present time, when the fortunate are obsessed with fashion to the extent that they do not like to repeat clothes more than once, the other side of the coin shows the plight of those who struggle to manage a decent piece of clothing for themselves.

Not only this- imagine the plight of the environment! How many resources are plundered to supply the unsatiating demand of fast fashion everyday! There are a lot better ways to stay fashionable while you remain in harmony with nature.

Do you feel your wardrobe needs a makeover, or you just have old clothes in your trunk that are no longer useful,we are here to give you ideas about how to dispose off old clothes so that you can also alleviate the waste of resources associated with the wastage of textiles ending up in landfills.

Here are 5 effective ways on how to dispose off old clothes if you are in India.

1- Donate To A Charity

This is one of India's noblest ways of disposing of old clothes. Several organizations work with the marginalized sections of society and help them to get the necessities of life. If you want to contribute to this noble cause, you can donate your clothes directly to the people you think need them or donate clothes to a person working in an organization. Your rejected piece of clothing may be treasured by the person who receives it. There are a few things to keep in mind if you plan to donate your clothes to charity :

• Make sure that the donated clothes are in wearable condition

• Try and wash and fold the clothes before donating them

• Make sure you donate the clothes to an organization you trust so that it reaches the people who need them.

Here are some popular organizations in India that accept old clothes and give it to the needy. You can also connect with local volunteers at your community or city level to donate clothes

• Clothes Box Foundation (CBF): You can check out their website here, Facebook page here or even call them at +91-78383-71356.
• Share At Door Step (SADS): Connect with them via their website here or contact them at +91-8884784742.
  
• Apang Manav Mandal (AMM): Check out the website here or contact them at: (079)26302643.
  
• Mahesh Foundation: You can check the website here.
  
• India wasted - You can check the website here

 

2- Sell Your Old Clothes Online

If you want to know how to dispose off old clothes and also earn some money in return, you can sell your old clothes online. Selling clothes online at a lower price is also beneficial for many people who could not afford the clothes at their original price and can now wear them.

This is also a great way of reducing the amount of waste that is generated by disposing of old clothing. Many websites allow you to put your clothes up on sale, and you can also sell them through your social media accounts by putting up relevant information like your own online thrift store.

Some of the sites in India where you can sell your clothes online

• Poshmark.com
• https://www.coutloot.com/
• https://www.tradesy.com/
• https://www.etashee.com/
• https://refashioner.com/
• https://www.relove.in/
• https://bombayclosetcleanse.in/

 

3- Upcycle Old Clothes Into New Ones

The recent trend of upcycling old clothes is becoming increasingly popular. This is especially great for those clothes that may have become outdated or damaged in some areas- but you hold them too precious to let them go! If you want to know how to dispose off old clothes without giving them away, you can always upcycle them.It’s also a great way to reduce clothing waste by not throwing them away, instead giving them new life. 

Upcycling an old saree into a jacket or a pair of jeans into shorts are great ideas for beginners, and you can go all out with your creative imagination.

3 Best Upcycling Websites: Where you can buy upcycled clothing in India

1. https://rimagined.com/

2. https://upcycleluxe.com/

3  https://refash.in/

4. https://bunkojunko.com/collections/womens-dress

5. https://doodlage.in/

 

4- Repurpose Old Clothing

If you think that your clothing is in a condition that cannot be donated or sold, you can repurpose it! There are numerous ways to make your living much more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Not to forget, it is also very economical to repurpose old clothes. The essence of repurposing clothes is that you are able to save more textile and use it for various purposes when it is no longer fit to wear or you are bored of wearing the same style and same dress again and again. Here are a few ideas for repurposing old clothes if you are looking to do so :

• You can use your old T-shirts to make stylish tote bags

• Use any piece of cloth as a duster or a mop to keep your home clean

• You can also easily convert old t-shirts into cushions by just stuffing in some foam or cotton and doing a few basic stitches.

Indian Blogs Where You Can Find Clothing Upcycling Ideas

1. https://www.usemeworks.com/

2. https://india.thela.eco/

5- Send it for Recycling- 

Textile recycling programs are initiatives run by companies and organizations that focus on diverting old and unwanted textiles from landfills and incinerators, with the goal of either recycling them into new textiles or repurposing them for various uses. 

You can easily contact your local recycler or municipality to ask them for textile recyclers in your city. There are alot of private companies today that even come to your doorstep to collect old clothes to recycle them and in return reward you monetarily or through some special coupons. 

Some companies that take clothes to recycle-
1- https://twirl.store/send-your-clothing/
2- https://recircle.in/contact-us/
3- https://sadsindia.org/

Conclusion: 

So you see there are several different ways on how to dispose off old clothes without just rejecting them and throwing them away. We must aim to reduce the wastage of textiles and attempt to use them more efficiently.

While the textiles coming from natural resources can still be decomposed, the synthetic fibers which are used in abundance in the world of fast fashion clothing contribute to nothing but landfills and pollution. With around 60% of customers throwing away their clothes in the first year of buying them, an estimated 18.6 million tons of clothing was thrown away in landfills in the year 2020 and the number is just exponentially increasing.

With so many people deprived of basic clothing, if you have the luxury of having more clothes than you need, it is your moral responsibility to try and help the underprivileged! And so is your responsibility towards the planet, towards your future generations, and your own self that you dispose of clothes more responsibly so that you can stay trendy and yet practice sustainability.

 

Shop eco friendly products here - https://greenfeels.in/collections/shop-all