Each year over 80 billion pieces of clothing are produced worldwide, the fashion industry is, in fact, the second most polluting industry. That’s why it’s crucial to recycle your clothes so that they don’t end up in a landfill creating even more pollution. As part of our Wardrobe Cleanse Home Visit sessions, we advise our clients on the best ways for them to recycle their old clothes  & accessories.

Here are 10 Ways on How To Recycle Your Old Clothes & Accessories in an Eco-Responsible Way. 

1. Get Creative 

Do you have any damaged clothes, shoes and handbags? But you don’t want to throw them in the trash? So why not get creative and turn them into new clothes! Websites like Love Your Clothes can help you with more on how to recycle your old clothes and create new pieces of clothing. Love You Clothes has been developed to change the way the UK consumers buy, their ultimate goal is to reduce the environmental impact of clothing across the UK. On their website, you can find DIY Video to turn your old clothes into something new, and release your inner designer with upcycling. We also connect our clients with the best tailors in London who can alter anything for you – from a pair of jeans to gowns and suits.

Advice How to Recycle Your Old Clothes:

“One of our favourite companies to restore old accessories is The Restory. They can fix even the most loved pair of shoes and give them a new lease of life – it’s like a spa for accessories.” – Deni Kiro, personal stylist

2. Clothes Swap Events 

If you want to get new clothes for free while giving a second life to yours, consider attending one of our DK Style clothes swap events. The concept is very simple, all guests bring in their old clothes and trade them for other people’s clothes, everyone recycles their old clothes in a fun atmosphere and leaves with brand new pieces!

3. High Street Stores

Many high street stores are now offering garment recycling services like H&M, & Other Stories and Zara… You can donate any clothing or textile and it doesn’t matter what brand or condition they’re in, you just have to bring them to the cash desk for this purpose. You will also get a “recycling treat” voucher to spend in the store. The brands then recycle the clothing or donate them to charities.

4. Rent Clothes

We all have these outfits, which we bought for a wedding or a party, which we wore once and have been in our closets ever since. Each year, Brits spend 2.7 billion on fashion that they only wear once, these are disastrous figures. But there’s a way to change things – renting clothes. The UK fashion tech company By Rotation wants to change consumer habits and reduce the ecological impact of fashion. By Rotation is UK’s first clothing rental app with a community of style-conscious and eco-friendly individuals, who rent their clothes. You can find everything on By Rotation, from the little Reformation dress to the iconic Birkin bag. There are many other clothes rental companies we work with, depending on the type of clothes & accessories you are looking to rent or sell.  Simply email us with a subject Recycle Clothes and we will book you in for a consultation with an expert stylist who will advise you on the best platform to rent or sell your garments.

5. Resale Apps

Resale apps are an easy way to give a new life to your old clothes and make money out of it.  For high street clothing, download the app Vinted, it’s a startup that allows you to sell your clothing, shoes, and bags to other vinted users at attractive prices. You can also use the Depop application, it’s a company based in London that offers you to sell your products, buy and discover new fashion pieces. If you want to find and sell luxury designer pieces, you can visit the website of the leader of the second-hand luxury sector, Vestiaire Collective. Here you can buy and sell quality designer pieces at very attractive prices. In the same vein but based in the UK, Hewi London is also specialized in designer pieces, from Dior to Hermes on their website you can buy and sell your pre-loved designer pieces and give them a new home.

More Restyle Clothing Ideas

6. Donate to Charities 

If you want to do a good deed for the planet as well as for those in need, just donate your old clothes to your local charity. You will give a second life to your clothes, make a green gesture while helping people. Do not hesitate to ask us for information – we can put you in touch with the best charities near you. One of our favourite charity is  Smart Works who provide clothing for unemployed women with interviews.

“Remember that charities are interested in high-quality items they can make money out of like cashmere jumpers and old designer pieces in good condition. Thus, if you have old high-street pieces, you will be better of giving them to the clothing banks – they can take out valuable fibres even out of the most worn-out clothes. Never throw your clothes in the bin.” – Deni Kiro, personal stylist

7. Recycling Companies

With the pollution issues brought on by fashion a lot of recycling companies are developing around the world and reduce the environmental impact of our clothes. If you don’t know how clothing recycling works, TerraCycle, for example, is one of the worldwide leaders of the recycling of so-called “non-recyclable” wastes, the company offers a fabrics and clothing zero waste box that you can fill with clothing and fabric, then ship to TerraCycle so they can repurpose it. You don’t know what to do with your old shoes? Soles 4 Soul got you covered. They have a shoe recycling program for your old shoes, to keep them from going to waste and putting them to good use by creating jobs and empowering people to break the circle of poverty. 

8. Clothing Banks

A new campaign launched to encourage people to bin their old clothes but for recycling, not landfill. Recycling banks have been installed all around London, so you can put your old clothes in there. They’ll collect them, sort through them and ensure that their next stage in life is not the landfill! The #LoveNotLandfill campaign is here to promote recycling and raise awareness of the damage that the fashion industry does each year.

9. Pop-up Stores

For fashion lovers, you can attend or even host a pop-up store where you will be able to find designer pieces from clothes, to bags and shoes in very good condition and for much cheaper. You will also be able to sell the pieces of clothing, you no longer use and give them a new life. 

10. Asos Marketplace 

Asos Marketplace is a community platform where you can resell your clothes, buy them from other individuals but also find clothes from young independent designers. On their website, you can sell a wide range of clothes, from vintage skirts to designer bags.

Book Your Free Initial Restyle Clothing Consultation With A Personal Stylist

This month, you can book a free online consultation for a wardrobe detox with a personal stylist. We will check what you have in your wardrobe and give you tailored advice for up to 50 items while recommending you our best partners to hire, sell & rent fashion as well as the local organisations to donate clothes that are suitable for you. You can book your free online consultation here.

by DK Style