Hey, Green Junkie!
Did you know that 84% of clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators?
That’s a staggering statistic, isn’t it?
In the world of fast fashion, it’s easy to fill our closets with random items, impulse purchases and clothing that we don’t really love or want to wear more than once.
This not only has a huge impact on the environment but when we go to clean out and get rid of these items we are often making the issue even worse because we are not cleaning out our clothes properly.
So in today’s episode I wanted to teach you how you can consciously clean out your closet, re-use what you have and even make a little money on the side.
Here’s what to expect:
- The amount of clothing that ends up in landfills
- The art of reusing your old clothing
- Creative ways to turn old clothing into rags
- How to make money from your clothes
- Facts about recycling clothes
- The truth about composting clothes
You’ll discover that and so much more in this episode.
By the end of this episode, Green Junkie, you’ll be empowered to tackle that cluttered closet in a more organized and earth friendly way.
If you love this podcast be sure to leave a review and share a screenshot of this episode to your IG stories. Tag @greenjunkiepodcast so I can shout you out and publicly say thanks.
Thanks for listening and being here.
Your green bestie,
Xoxo Stephanie
Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Episode #20 6 Ways to Detox Your Home
Episode #21: 8 Ways to Create a Low Waste Lunch
Episode #22: The Eco-Impact of Fast Fashion
Sources
https://www.bonandberg.com/post/how-to-throw-away-your-old-clothes-responsibly
https://www.goodgirlgonegreen.com/sustainable-fashion/
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EPISODE 23 TRANSCRIPT
0:07
Hi, Green Junkie. I'm your host Stephanie Moram and today we're talking about how you can clean out your closet without feeling guilty about the impact you may have on the environment.
0:17
Did you know that 84% of clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators? Yep. That trendy sports coat you bought last season isn't just trendy fashion it could also end up contributing to the environmental issues. As I'm sure you already know, fashion trends are changing by the second and everyone is trying to keep up. We often literally shop until we drop. Unfortunately, purchasing clothing from some of the biggest fashion brands doesn't only lead to build up in your closet, but also in landfills and the ocean. Luckily, you and your unwanted clothing have options aside from ending up in the trash.
0:56
For instance, you can repair repurpose, resell, donate, or recycle your pre loved apparel, and those things are easier than you think. In this episode, I'm going to teach you how to responsibly clean out your closet waste free so you can avoid buying new and reap the benefits of choosing slow fashion over fast fast. If you want to learn more about sustainable fashion, you can visit my blog at Good Girl Gone Green.com and please subscribe to the Green Junkie podcast on whatever platform you're listening to. Now let's dive in.
1:35
Green Junkie, fix a hole in your favorite t shirt. Daily wear and tear takes its toll on our clothing and they often end up damaged or torn to shreds. Well, this might look like we can no longer wear that piece of clothing in the current form but they might just need some repair or upcycling. If you have a few items in your closet that brings sentimental value, it might be time to get creative and find new ways to use that fabric. Simple ideas like turning your ripped jeans into trendy new shorts are transforming that summer dress into a top and shirt are just some of the ways you can ensure that your damaged clothing still gets used. Plus, once you repair your old clothing, you'll be adding a new unique piece to your wardrobe. And also those pair of socks that have a hole in them – repair those as well. Anything that you have that can be repaired, do it. Do you have a pair of snow pants with a hole in it? Get a patch put on it. Instead of going out and buying something new to replace that piece of clothing to replace those socks think “Can I repair it” before you decide to discard it. Like I said, you can either hire a seamstress to help you or go online and teach yourself how to mend your own clothing. Trust me Green Junkie, it is fun and worthwhile and will drastically reduce your fashion footprint.
2:57
Number two, did you know that around 95% of the materials can actually be recycled and turned into something else, which means they don't actually have to go to a landfill. If you think it's finally time to say goodbye to your favorite t shirt or a pair of jeans, think again. If you've worn an item so much that it's practically unwearable now, why not create something new by cutting them up and using them as cleaning cloths around the house. A lot of my rags around the house are from old T shirts. Use old garments that are no longer wearable, and give them a new lease on life and reduce waste that ends up in landfills in the oceans. Grab some old jeans that are no longer wearable and make a bag out of them. There's just so many things that you can find online that you can use old pieces of material with. A couple years ago I found this amazing woman who would create shopping bags for people and she'd walk around the farmer's market and hand out bags. And she had so much waste leftover from making these bags. So what she did was she made dog beds and she would stuff the dog beds with all the left over materials and she would donate them to a shelter. So be creative, have fun, and think of different ways that you can repurpose things that you already have. repurposing your old clothing into something new is a win win if you ask me, Green Junkie.
4:28
Number three, sell your clothing to secondhand stores, thrift stores, consignment stores, vintage stores, online stores, whatever store to give your clothes a second chance while keeping textiles out of our landfills. eBay, Poshmark there's tons of other high end secondhand stores that you can sell to online where you can sell your pre owned clothing. While they do take some of the profits, you're still gonna get some money back for selling it and you are giving your clothing a second home. You can also take your favorite pieces into a small local shop and ask if they have space on a rack to sell their clothing for profit. When you resell your clothing, you're playing a part in reducing pollution admissions from the production of new merchandise. So, grab that T shirt you're not wearing anymore, grab those jeans you don't wear anymore, and head to a secondhand store to see if you can resell them, or get an account at Poshmark and resell those clothing.
5:29
Number four, you've probably heard the saying one man's trash is another man's treasure. And the same is true when it comes to your youth used clothing. You can almost always send old clothes to a recycling center or drop them off at your local donation bin as a more responsible and sustainable way to dispose of your pre loved garments and reduce the amount of unnecessary waste being sent to landfills. A few retail outlets also currently offer recycling stations in house where you can take old clothes to be responsibly disposed of. If this is something you don't have access to, you could check if your local city or town council offers any support in reducing the fashion crisis. Organizing clothes swaps or exchange is an excellent way to get rid of your pre- loved clothing and possibly get some new ones in return. This is an environmentally friendly way to offload items you want to get rid of without sending them to the landfill. Every month or every two months I head and drop off clothing that I no longer want at a donation center.
6:35
And I also look around to friends and family to see if they need any of the clothing I already have. So if my kids clothing doesn't fit anymore, I see if I have any friends and family nearby that might need that clothing. So donating clothing is another great way to keep the life of that clothing going without ending up in a landfill, if you have no luck, upcycling leftover items or are unable to contact your local clothing recycling center to see if they will take them back.
7:07
Most people associate composting with food and garden waste. But did you know that certain textiles and fabrics can be put in your recycling bin as well. Clothing is made from natural fibers. We do not want any synthetic fibers in our compost. Okay, Green Junkie, you want to put things like cotton, maybe silk, wool, linen. Those are the type of fibers that you can reintroduce to the Earth, where they will biodegrade naturally without releasing any toxins in the process. So, either compost your clothing, or look for a recycling facility that takes your old textiles and makes them into a new item. Most clothes, as we mentioned earlier can be repurposed or recycling. But composting and recycling should be a last resort option when disposing of your unwanted items. Especially since there are so many limitations to it.
8:07
It's about time you take action and improve the life of any garment you own, while sustainably upgrading your wardrobe. I hope something from this episode resonates with you and can help you live a little more green. For more green living inspiration, you can listen to my other episodes including number 22 The Eco impact of Fast Fashion episode 21 Eight Ways to Create a Low Waist Lunch and episode 26 Ways to Detox Your Home. Stay connected with me on Instagram at Green Junkie podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Green Junkie podcast on the platform you're listening. If you're curious about waste free living, sustainable fashion or are wondering how to read food cleaning and product labels, I've got you covered. For direct access to me, your green living expert, click the link in the show notes where you could ask me questions and get a customized plan on how you can live a greener life or hop on a one on one call with me or ask me your questions via email because zoom isn't for everyone. Or we can chat via a web based app called voxer. I will be your personal green Google and you can pick my brain. Thank you for listening, and I'll see you next Tuesday Green Junkie.
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