Are you a victim of fast fashion? You buy several clothes all at once, only to wear them a few times. In no time, your closet gets jam packed and you end up discarding a great amount of clothes in the trash. While that means more space for new clothes, it’s bad news for the environment. Instead of throwing your clothes in the trash the next time round, there are plenty of methods you can consider. If you’ve contemplated donating your clothes, here’s your guide to whether you should donate your preloved garments.
Why should you donate your clothes?
Well, at the heart of it, it’s just a whole lot better than simply throwing them away. By throwing your clothes in the trash, you’re increasing the amount of toxic greenhouse gases released into the environment. On the other hand, donating your clothes begins with the noble intent of helping those who may not have the access to such necessities. It could also be used to raise funds for certain causes or charities. When clothes are donated to individuals, it helps to give your clothes a new lease of life. Plus, if you don’t have the time or money to commit yourself for volunteering or donations, donating your clothes is probably the best way to help the underprivileged!
If you’re one to give in too many sales with clothes that you don’t wear after awhile or if your wardrobe’s just a packed mess, donating your clothes is a great way to declutter your closet.
You should only donate garments of good and wearable conditions.
Though there are many undeniable benefits to donating your clothes, donating is not all sunshine and rainbows. Before you donate your clothes, you should always ensure that they are in fairly good condition. What does that mean?
So, if your clothes have e.g. stubborn stains, tears, weak material, donation may not be the option. Even if your clothes may smell alright, it’s best and only nice to wash them before giving them off. Psst, spraying perfume or deodorant onto your clothes does not count. Thus, before donating off your clothes, ensure to closely inspect them for any tears or stubborn stains.
Looking for an alternative to donating your clothes?
Fret not, there are a few alternatives if you want to give your clothes a new lease of life without potentially harming the environment.
- Sell
Firstly, you can try selling your clothes. You can do it conveniently by selling them online. Fleas Markets for preloved clothes are pretty popular these days. Grab a friend and you could sell clothes you don’t need anymore. Fleas are great because you help give your preloved clothes a new lease of life and at the same time, earn some cash while you’re at it! Joining a flea with someone you know would also make it fun. Plus, you may even be able to get your hands on affordable second hand clothing you fancy.
- Swap
If selling preloved clothing is not your thing, you could swap clothes with another individual. To make things interesting, you could do a #Sustainable Secret Santa where everyone could swap their preloved clothes with one another.
If you can’t seem to swap clothes with your friends, afraid not. There are local organisations such as The Swapaholic and The Fashion Pulpit if you’d like to immerse yourself in the clothes swapping experience. Though it may require a little more trial and error than your conventional shopping experience, it helps the environment (and your wallet!) in the long run.
- Upcycling
If you can’t bear to part with your clothes and love some DIY, upcycling might just be for you. Upcycling re-purposes and transforms your preloved clothes that you may want to throw away into something innovative that looks as good as new.
From turning your button up shirt to an off the shoulder top to distressing a pair of jeans, the possibilities are endless when it comes to upcycling. Dare to experiment and let your creative juices run free.
Should you choose to upcycle your clothing, we provide alteration services at 3 outlets – Republic Plaza, Ion Orchard and Suntec City where our experienced tailors will be able to give a new lease of life to your garments.
- Recycling
If your clothes are in too bad of a condition to do any of these steps or if you’d like a fuss-free alternative, you can opt for recycling your clothes. There are several places in which you could recycle your clothes like Greensquare. You can also drop off your preloved clothes in apparel stores like H&M and Wing-Tai retail stores. Read our post on where to recycle your preloved clothes here! Best part – you get vouchers for your next purchase while you’re saving the Earth.
With this guide, you now know what you can do with your preloved clothes other than throwing them in the trash. Together, we can bring sustainable fashion forward.
PS: Whichever method you’d end up choosing, ensure that your clothes are washed and cleaned. If a stubborn stain has been bothering you, don’t fret. With over 20 years of experience in laundry services in Singapore, you can always trust us with your pre-loved clothing. We have multiple laundry locations island wide, so just visit our website if you have any inquiries. Alternatively, you can call our friendly staff at +65 6354 3277 or Whatsapp us.
