If Fast Fashion Waste Reels on Insta Shock You, Here’s What You Can Do With Your Old Clothes
(Representational featured image courtesy Shutterstock)
Let’s be honest: We all have that one shelf or suitcase full of clothes we’ve outgrown, no longer wear, or forgotten even existed. Some are barely worn, others are damaged beyond repair.
While donation seems like the obvious next step, not every piece of clothing is fit for giving, and not knowing the difference can actually harm the environment.
India produces a whopping 7,800 kilotonnes of textile waste every year, with over half coming from clothes we throw away, including the ones we donate. Many people assume old clothes will be reused, but in reality, anything considered unusable by donation centres often ends up in landfills or incinerators, which adds to land and air pollution.
To make your donation count, follow these simple dos and don’ts:
- Don’t donate used undergarments. Even if washed, innerwear isn’t accepted by most organisations for hygiene reasons. These items are discarded immediately.
- Do wash and dry all clothes before donating. It shows respect for the next user and ensures the clothes are wearable.
- Don’t donate clothes with large tears, broken zips or heavy stains. These are rarely repaired and often binned.
What should you do with worn-out or damaged clothes?
Recycle them responsibly.
Organisations like Respun in Panipat are turning textile waste, including undergarments, into carpets, bags, industrial fibres, and more.
In 2024, they managed to save 6160 tonnes of textile waste from entering the landfills. They also support rural livelihoods by training and employing women in the process.
While recycling helps, the real solution lies in buying less and buying better. Choose quality over quantity, mend what you can, and be mindful of where your clothes end up. The planet and people will definitely thank you for it.
Edited by Saumya Singh
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