07/09/2026
I get comments like this all the time. While I know they come with good intentions and mean well, these ideas are outdated.
Don't get me wrong, recycling and donating clothes ARE GOOD OPTIONS, but they have some caveats:
Recycling clothes is hard and expensive. Due to the mixed fibre content and hardware like zippers or buttons, recycling clothes is more difficult than we think to do. Due to that and other factors, it's really expensive, but who pays for it? Fashion brands aren't. Consumers don't want to. The government? Even the recycling companies that do exist, not enough people are willing to pay more for recycled clothes to make it a sustainable practice at scale and long term. It's not impossible, some places are doing it well, but I'm just trying to say it's not at the scale we need it to be or people think it is. THEREFORE, it shouldn't be our first option when dealing with clothes we don't want anymore.
Donating clothes is a great option, HOWEVER, not when the clothes you're donating are unwearable or in bad shape. Nobody, regardless of need, deserves to wear those kinds of clothes. That's my point here. Please donate clothes that are in good condition that can be worn for a while longer. Extending the lifespan of clothes is extremely important. But for worn-out fast fashion, stained and damaged sweaters, jeans, shirts, etc, dumping those at donation centers isn't helping anyone. It's dumping and making it someone else's problem. Our system is overloaded.
I'm not trying to shame anyone, or make you feel bad. What else do you do with those clothes other than throw them away? At least if they're donated, there's a chance something good will happen with it, right? Unfortunately, it's not likely.
So my solution is to stuff all of your unwearable clothes in a pouffe!! Like these! I sell them empty so you can stuff them yourself with all of those clothes that are unwearable and hard to recycle. It's not a perfect solution, but it's better than the landfill right now. Plus, they're super fun to stack! Just make sure your coffee isn't sitting nearby for the inevitable topple!
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