Updated on January 21st, 2026
April 22nd is Earth Day, which is focused on educating about environmental issues and protecting the planet. Since there are hundreds of millions of items of clothing that end up in the landfill each year, I want to share a post on ways to reduce clothing waste and how you can become more sustainable.
Shop Your Closet
A great place to start your sustainable fashion journey is to shop your closet, in which you wear what you already own. If you have not worn a piece of clothing in a while, pull it out and try to create a new outfit with it. You can also try to create new outfits with the clothes you regularly wear and pair them with different items of clothing or accessories for a new look. Jenni from I on Image has a wonderful post on how to Shop Your Closet Like A Stylist that is definitely worth a read! When you shop your closet, you might realize that you really do not need that new shirt or dress.
Repair Damaged Clothes
If you have stopped wearing a piece of clothing because there was a rip in it or a button fell off, you can sew it and wear it again. If you do not know how to hand sew, I would recommend these YouTube videos on How to Sew a Hole, How to Repair a Tear in Jeans, and How to Sew a Button. You can also bring the piece of clothing to a tailor or seamstress if you do not want to repair the clothing yourself. Furthermore, you can repair worn shoes by bringing them to a shoe repair shop to replace a zipper, repair or replace the soles or heel cap, or stitch rips and tears. However, if the clothing is beyond repair, that brings me to my next point.
Repurpose Worn Clothes
Instead of throwing out your worn clothing, try to find a new purpose for it. The most popular way to repurpose clothing is to turn it into cleaning rags or pillows. However, you can also turn the clothing into accessories for your other clothes, like a patch or a pocket, or you can also make a scarf, belt, headband, scrunchie, necklace, or bracelet. You can make the clothing into a tote bag, backpack, coin purse, handkerchief, or makeup wipes, or turn it into a dog bed cover, toy, or bandana. If the piece of clothing holds sentimental value, you can make it into a teddy bear, quilt, or blanket. For tutorials on how to repurpose your clothing, Google and YouTube are great places to start.
Donate Good Quality Clothes
If you have clothes that you do not wear, but are still in good condition, do not throw them away. First, see if you have a family member or friend who wants the clothes. You can also try selling them online, and I will mention websites in my point below.
Even though donating your clothes to a thrift store is better than tossing them in the trash, only 10-20% of the clothing that is donated will be sold locally. About half of the donations a thrift store receives will make it onto the shelves, and at most half of those clothes are sold. So what happens to the other80-90% of donated clothes? About 25% of clothes will be sold second-hand abroad, 30% of clothes will be cut into rags for industrial use, 20% is reprocessed into fiber filling for furniture and home insulation, which leaves 5% of donated clothes ending up in the landfill. That may not seem like a lot, but worldwide, hundreds of millions of pieces of clothing end up in the landfill each year.
Even though donating is better than throwing your old clothes in the trash, it may not always be the best option, especially if your clothing is not in good condition. To ensure that your donated clothing is not part of the 5% that ends up in the landfill, only donate clothes that are new or gently worn, and do not donate clothes with holes, stains, bad smells, broken zippers, or missing buttons. If your clothes are not in good condition, you can try to repurpose them, or you can donate them to a textile recycling center instead. Emma Reed has a helpful list of Where To Recycle Items in the UK, including clothing, bras, and shoes, among other items.
Buy Second-hand
Shopping at thrift stores is a great way to find affordable clothing, and you are able to give the clothing a second life. However, you do not know what you will find, and the thrift store might not have what you are looking for, or they might not have your size, which can be frustrating. But you may find treasures, and you will not know until you go. Also, local thrift stores often help out the community, and the thrift store in my parents’ city donates its profits to local nonprofits, community organizations, and individuals in need. In my city, one of my favorite thrift stores donates its profits to the Danish Cancer Society.
As well as physical thrift stores, you can buy and sell on online marketplaces like Depop, Mercari, Poshmark, Sellpy, thredUP, OfferUp, Vinted, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace. You can also browse Etsy for vintage and upcycled clothes. By shopping online at second-hand marketplaces, it is easier to find the best bargains for what you are looking for, and many sellers will mention how many times they have worn the clothing and if there is any damage. However, by shopping online, there is always the possibility that the seller will not send you the clothing you purchased, so be sure to check the reviews of the seller before buying.
Lastly, you can participate in clothing swap meetups where you and others trade clothes, or you can even look into renting clothes. Buying second-hand or having a clothing swap is a great way to get new clothes without supporting the overproduction of clothing and contributing to the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills.
Shop Sustainable Brands
It is inevitable that at some point you may need new clothes, or you simply want something new that you cannot find second-hand. Rather than shopping at fast-fashion brands like H&M, Zara, Primark, New Look, ASOS, Boohoo, Fashion Nova, Missguided, PrettyLittleThing, Shein, and Temu, which overproduce clothes, pollute the environment, and exploit their workers, including children, shop at sustainable brands that pay their workers fair wages and use eco-friendly and organic fabrics. Furthermore, sustainable brands have higher-quality clothing that lasts longer than the clothing from fast fashion brands. The blog Outlandish is a great resource on sustainable fashion, and Teresa has helpful posts on the Best Sustainable Fashion Brands, Sustainable Size-Inclusive and Affordable Brands, and Sustainable Jean Brands.
By wearing and repairing the clothes you have, donating clothes in good condition, and shopping second-hand and from sustainable brands, you will help reduce clothing waste and become more sustainable. If you are looking for more ways to be sustainable, you can read Becky’s post on 50 Simple Ways To Be Eco Friendly as well as my post on Eco-Friendly Beauty and Personal Care Products.
The Lifestyle Ladies Blog Collab is a collaboration between myseæf and 7 other amazing ladies, and every month we will write a post relating to the collab on our own blogs.
For this month, our theme is Earth Day 🌍
- April 20th: My post! Thank you for reading!
- 23rd: Simple, Easy Steps to Protect Our Environment and Earth with Haley
- 25th: How to Be More Eco-Friendly at Home with Kim
Great post. I love shopping at the thrift store, and when I am done using clothes, I donate them back!
Thank you! That’s great you shop at thrift stores & donate your old clothes!
These are all such great points. I started looking into fast fashion last year and it is shocking the impact fashion has on our planet! Awareness and ideas like these are so helpful for combatting the problem. I try and shop second hand for my clothing. I also LOVE clothing swaps and can’t wait for the pandemic to be over so we can have them again 🙂
This is indeed a must ŕead. Some of my dresses are lying in cupboard since so long. ?? Doubt I will wear it or not !!!
What a great post Karalee! I’ve been trying to be not only very selective of what I buy, but also not buy random bits just for the sake of spending money this past year. I don’t need more than what I have and considering the space too, I do not have the place to store things.
Thank you! That’s great you’re being more conscious about what you buy & I used to buy clothing just because it was on sale but now I don’t since I don’t need it.
These are great tips to reduce waste plus save money!
Yes exactly!
I used to be terrible and buy far too many clothes! Without exaggerating, it was a form of addiction. In the last couple of years, however, I’ve turned the corner. I sold and donated 60% of my wardrobe and only buy sustainable, good quality pieces. Thank you for this post.
https://lylastone.com/
That’s wonderful to hear you sold & donated many of your clothes & you’re now more conscious about your purchases!
This is such a great post Karalee! As someone with a smaller closet, I’ve always tried to minimize my clothing. I try to stick to one new outfit Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter and give away anything I haven’t worn in the past year. I love the idea of shopping your closet for new outfit ideas! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! That’s great you have a smaller cloest & you give away clothes you don’t wear!
Yes shopping your closet is great!
Love posts like this that give ideas how to be more sustainable!
Thanks!
Buying second hand and donating are things I’ve always done – but I have never tried to repare clothing. I should look into turning old items into something new!
That’s great you already buy secondhand & donate!
You should definitely try reparing & repurposing your clothing!
Great ideas, I think is very important to reduce clothing waste, thanks for sharing!!
Kisses,
https://www.theartofpaloma.com/
Thank you & it is important!
I love Teresa’s blog, it’s full of brilliant tips. And I haven’t heard the phrase shop your closet before but I love that. Also repurposing, it’s amazing what a difference a patch or a brooch can make to an outfit, it gives it a whole new vibe. Fab post, Karalee, thank you! x
I love Teresa’s blog too & shopping your closet is great! YES there’s so much you can do to repurose clothes.
You’re welcome!
All of these are great advice. Last two year I didn’t shop anything and wear only clothes which I have and realize that I didn’t have situation where I don’t have something to wear.
New Post – https://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com/2021/04/guerlain-shalimar.html
Thank you! That’s great you haven’t bought any new clothes and you have been wearing what you already own instead. Yes! There’s no need to buy new clothes when you already have clothes for any situation.
I love love love going through my closet and donating as many clothes as I can that are not in use or don’t fit me or my style anymore. Over the past couple years I’ve also tried to very intentional about how much I’m buying and ensuring items are not going to sit in my closet collecting dust. Thanks for sharing these types – lots of great ideas to reduce waste!
That’s great you’ve been donating clothes that you don’t wear or they don’t fit anymore!
Yes years ago I would shop at H&M all the time but when I learned about fast fashion I stopped my ways & started shopping more at thrift stores & only buying clothing I know I would wear.
Great suggestions! I definitely need to go through and repair all my damaged clothing. I have been putting it off, but it’s so much better to repair it than to go out and buy something new. Thanks for all your great ideas for reducing clothing waste!
Thank you! Yes repearing clothes can be time consuming, but like you said it is better to repair them than go out and buy something new.
I LOVE your post!! There’s so much helpful information here, and so many great tips. I honestly feel like I learned a lot from reading this! It’s sometimes difficult to know what to do with damaged clothing and clothes you can no longer fit into, so I think your post will help lots of people. I’m excited to try making scrunchies with some of my old clothes! I’ve also been planning to sell some clothes on eBay, I just need to get around to taking pictures of them. Thank you so much for sharing this!! 😊💞
Thank you so much & that’s great to hear you learned a lot from my post!
Yes exactly! Back then when there was a rip in my clothes, my first reaction was to throw it in the back of my wardrobe & forget it & sometimes I would throw them in the trash… Now I repair them or repurose it!
That’s great you’re going to sell some of your clothes on eBay!
You’re very welcome! 😊 And I really did! It was so educational in how to reuse and repurpose old clothes. I had no idea what to do with clothes like that before, besides donating them. But like you pointed out, that isn’t a foolproof method for the clothes being reused either. I think it’s awesome you’re taking such great steps to cut down on waste and protect the environment! Keep at it! 😄🎶 Yes, I’m hoping I’ll be able to find new homes and fresh life for some of my clothes by selling there!
I love this post so much. Thanks for sharing all this important information on how to reduce clothing waste
Thank you & you’re welcome!
These are some great suggestions to help reduce waste and help the environment. I donate to my sisters or charity shops. Thank you for sharing your suggestions.
Thank you! That’s great you donate your clothes to sisters and charity shops!
So many good tips! I’ve really made a complete u-turn with how I clothe shop over the past year, researching into sustainable brands, investing in pricier items, and shopping second-hand x
Thanks! That’s great you changed the way you shop & you’re putting more consideration into the clothes you buy. Several years ago I went through the same change & I used to shop at H&M all the time but now I’ve been mainly shopping second-hand.
Great advice! I have a pile of old T-shirts that I plan to have made into a quilt. For the most part, I try to donate old clothes to clothing drives.
Thank you! That’s awesome you’re going to turn your old shirts into a quilt & I would like to see how it turns out! That’s also great you donate your clothes to clothing drives!
This is a great post. I’ve been trying to be very careful about my clothes for the last few years. I try to buy things I know will last, and take good care of them. I’m not into fast fashion at all. I love shopping secondhand, and I’ve gotten some great pieces in thrift stores.
Thank you! That’s great you’ve been putting more consideration into the clothes you buy & you’ve found some great pieces in thrift stores!
Years ago I used to shop from fast fashion brands all the time, but when I learned about the bad side of fast fashion, I changed my ways.
Usually try to donate clothes that I received and don’t see myself wearing. I like donating good quality clothes. These are great tips.
Thanks! That’s great you donate clothes you don’t wear!
Great tips! I can’t promote enough how important it is to buy second hand – & sell second hand too which a lot of us sometimes forget. I buy all my clothes from Depop or charity shops – then for bras etc. I make sure to get high quality.
Thank you! Yes it is so important to buy & sell second hand! I bought a lot of my clothes from Depop & charity shops too!
Great sustainability tips in here Karalee! I am a big advocate of shopping your closet and even wrote a blog post about it. It has been a great fashion guide during lockdown and I have rediscovered so many beautiful things in my wardrobe. Feel free to link my post if you think it could be helpful to your readers https://ionimage.nl/shop-your-closet/ – Jenni
Thank you! Ah I remember your post! I’ll definitely add a link to it!
Thank you so much Karalee! I really appreciate it xx
Some fab tips! I rarely buy new clothes and I also rarely throw anything away. I’d always donate if I could – sometimes I give my old clothes to clothes banks too!
Thank you! That’s great you rarely buy new clothes & you donate your old clothes!
These are some great ideas! A lot of my current wardrobe pieces are second hand. I love a good rummage through the charity shops or browsing EBay. I’ve got a few items of clothing that need repairing or repurposing – jeans into shorts, and cutting the sleeves off cardigans to make vests, etc.
Thank you! That’s great you already shop second hand & those repurposing projects sound exciting!
I’m in the process of recycling old torn clothes. Some of the prints will be cut out for patches and my Hello Kitty shirts are being cut out ans sewn on to blank shirts. It’ll take a while but hopefully I’ll have some interesting clothes to put back in my closet.
That’s wonderful you’re repurising your old clothes & I would like to see how it turns out with the patches & Hello Kitty shirts!
I’ll have to do a post on recycled clothes after all my other house cleaning is done . I’m in the midst of putting away things and possibly putting shelves up ✨😊
I hope your house cleaning going well & that’s exciting!
As Len passed away I will be giving new item of clothing to charity shops.
I’m so sorry to hear about Len.
That’s wonderful you’re giving his clothes to charity shops.
So much he had never worn.
Excellent post! At the beginning of 2020, I set a goal to buy no new clothing. In 2020, I bought 4 clothing items. So far in 2021, I have bought none. The environmental impact of fast fashion is shocking!
Thank you! That’s amazing you set that goal for yourself & you only bought a few new clothes 2020 & none this year! I completely agree!
These are amazing points, Karalee! I have been trying to be super intentional with my purchases and this includes clothing. Hoping to feel more comfortable to thrift again soon! Thank you for sharing xx
Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Thank you! That’s great you’ve been more conscious about your purchases. The stores are opening again here so I would like to visit the thrift stores soon