How to Sustainably Clean Out Your Closet

In the spirit of spring cleaning, you may be thinking about taking a step back to look through your closet and plucking out the pieces that no longer reflect the truest version of you. We feel you! Cleaning out your closet is a great opportunity to reevaluate your purchasing process and evolve your style. At the same time, we recognize that disposing of clothing still creates waste. The fast fashion industry and the ever-quickening pace of the trend cycle are major contributors to textile pollution on our dearest planet Earth, so it's crucial that we all do our part to try and reduce our consumption-waste patterns. We’ve created a guide on how to sustainably clean out your closet and refresh your wardrobe in anticipation of Hot Girl Earth Month! 

Meditate On It

Take a step back and think about why you want to clean out your closet. Have things begun to pile up because of mildly irresponsible purchasing? Are you trying to rebrand? If your thought process involves replacing everything with new items, maybe reevaluate your reasoning for a closet cleanout. Being a sustainable baddie is not at all about adhering to trend cycles; in fact, trend cycling is likely the least sustainable reason to clean out your closet. At its core, your closet cleanout should begin a process that helps you build a wardrobe with pieces that will last a lifetime – and even longer once those pieces are handed down. 

Evaluate What You Have 

Now it's time to open the floodgates and dig through the pieces currently in your wardrobe. Some helpful questions to ask yourself while you dig might be: What do you wear most often? What pieces have never been touched (if any)? Can any pieces be mended and/or upcycled? Sort your pieces into “keep”, “let go”, and “mend/upcycle” piles. As you sit and sort, maintain that mentality of lightening the proverbial load, rather than just looking for pieces to replace.

Donating & Selling Pieces

If you end up with a pile of clothing that just doesn’t suit your style anymore or you’ve outgrown, there are a few routes you can take to say “adieu”. One of the most common ways of discarding clothing is donating it, but donation boxes are infamous for not actually being donated. According to the documentary The True Cost, only about 10% of donated clothing makes it to thrift stores and the remaining 90% ends up in landfills or flood markets in the Global South. But that’s not to say that donation automatically = waste. You’ll just need to be careful about where and to whom you donate, which might require a bit more research (we’ll discuss clothing recycling programs down below!) 

Another great way to repurpose your clothes (and make a little extra money on the side) is to sell pieces that are in good condition on secondhand clothing marketplaces like Depop, Poshmark, ThredUp, the RealReal, Vestiaire, and many others! Remember, we do not stan resellers looking to scam people out of their money, so be respectful and practical when selling your clothes online. Many secondhand clothing stores also offer selling services where you can sell your clothes; chain resale stores like Buffalo Exchange or Beacon’s Closet buy used clothing!

Finally, think about hosting and/or attending a clothing swap! We had a blast giving our clothes a new home last year when we collaborated with Bed-Stuy Clothes Swap for our own clothing swap! Clothes swaps aren’t just a great way to give your clothes a new home and to find some great secondhand pieces, but also an opportunity to connect with friends, family, or other people who love sustainability, secondhand clothing, and bonding over ethical clothing practices. 

Upcycle and Mending and Re-purposing

Upcycling, mending, and reworking baddies: this is your time to shine! If you’ve compiled a pile of clothing that has potential, but isn’t quite where you need it to be for you to love and re-wear, now is a great time to take on these pieces as rework projects. If your sewing skills are not quite there yet, take them to a tailor for mending or, if you have the means, scout a rework designer online who will be able to help you bring the idea you have for your old pieces to life. Even shoes that have worn-out soles can be brought back to life if they’re taken to the cobbler! Don’t discard a piece just because it needs a little TLC. Old t-shirts that aren’t quite resellable can also be repurposed into cleaning rags or dusters or saved for when you spontaneously decide to dye your hair a new color and don’t want to get dye on any of your nice t-shirts. 

Clothing Recycling Programs

If by the end of your closet clean-out there are still a few lone pieces you no longer need but aren’t in any condition to be sold, reworked, or donated, you can instead recycle them! There are also many clothing recycling programs that you can participate in, both online and locally. These are a just few companies that will do most of the work to help you recycle your clothing:

Pact: Pact’s Give Back Box makes the effort to deliver your gently used clothes to nonprofits that need them while reusing old packaging boxes.

ThredUp: ThredUp will take your secondhand clothing and upload it to their site. If it sells you can cash out or get shopping credit

Girlfriend Collective: Girlfriend Collective will accept your old Girlfriend clothing, recycle it into new garments, and send your store credit as thanks!

Patagonia: Patagonia will take back any Patagonia clothing or gear that are still usable and will repair them whenever possible, but products beyond reuse or repair can also be sent back to be recycled or repurposed.

Wearable Collections: Wearable Collections accepts all used, freshly laundered clothing, shoes, sneakers, accessories, hats, belts and handbags. About 50% of donations are reused as clothing and sold in secondhand markets and the rest are upcycled as rags, or shredded into fiber products.

Many cities and local governments also have clothing recycling programs, so it may be worth a search to see if your city or town has a program you can participate in. These are just a few programs in major cities and counties around the U.S:

NYC: GrowNYC and refashion NYC

Chicago: Chicago Textile Recycling

Los Angeles & San Francisco: CalRecycle

Boston: Clothing and Textile Recycling

Miami: American Clothing Exchange

Kane County/Geneva: Kane County Recycles

Now that you’re equipped with the essential sustainable baddie tools to mindfully clean out your closet, go forth and enjoy a day of sorting and reorganizing. We hope once you view your revamped wardrobe, you’ll feel as light as the spring air that will soon be gracing our days. Happy spring cleaning, baddies!