Where to Recycle and Donate Your Old Clothes

Have you been bitten by the KonMari bug? I assume you know what the KonMari method is because Marie Kondo took the world by storm AGAIN when her TV show on Netflix, based on her best selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, launched this winter.

If you’ve been living under a rock and/or unfamiliar with the tidying guru, the first place you start your untidying journey is in the closet!

According to the chief design officer for California Closets, the average person wears only 20% of their clothing 80% of the time. The idea is that we whittle it down to just the 20% we love and wear ALL the time.

As you go through your closet, you’re probably left with a lot of items that don’t spark joy and you’re not sure what to do with them.

I’ve rounded up a list of places for you to donate and recycle your old clothes.

You might want to box them up and drop them off at your nearest thrift store, but I’d really urge you not to. This is a great blog post by my friend Leah from Style Wise.

She’s the manager at a thrift store and talks a bit about the complexities of dropping off all of your clothes. Not everything we drop off at thrift stores is going to be sold, recycled, or even put on store shelves.

There’s not enough space, depends on styles, depends on quality, and whether or not the thrift store has partnered with a textile recycling facility.

What’s most important is to make sure we’re donating items is in GOOD CONDITION.

swap:

If you have clothes in good condition, maybe call up some of your friends and host a clothing swap. If you’re looking for tips on hosting your own clothing swap, check out this post where I chatted with Martha Stewart.

sell:

If you have clothes in good condition and in current styles, you might want to consider selling some of your clothes. You can do it on apps and websites like Poshmark, eBay or check out Bunz an app for sharing, swapping, and trading in your local area.

RELATED: Learn more about the Bunz App and the Sharing Economy!

If you want to take a more hands off approach, you could also bring your clothes to a local consignment shop. You can take a look at some of my favorite consignment shops in my Going Zero Waste Guide to the Bay Area.

donate:

When it comes to donating, try to find specific charities for specific items. I talk about this at length in my book 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.

Women’s Work Wear:

Have work attire? Check out Dress for Success.

“Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.”

Bras:

If you have a bra that’s a bit too tight or a bit too big, check out I Support the Girls. It’s also a great organization to donate your leftover pads and tampons, if you still have a stock pile from when you switched over to zero waste period products.

“I Support the Girls collects and distributes donations of new and gently used bras, and individually sealed tampons and maxi pads to women and girls nationally and internationally.

“Whether they be homeless, refugees, in transitional housing, or fleeing domestic violence, women and girls should never have to compromise on dignity.”

Men’s Work Wear:

Looking to donate men’s suits? Check out Career Gear.

From their website, “We promote the economic independence of low-income men by providing financial literacy training, a network of support, professional attire, career development tools, job-readiness and essential life-skills training that help men enter the workforce, stay employed and become role models and mentors to their families an communities.”

Bridal:

Are you looking to donate your wedding dress? Can I recommend Brides Across America?

From their website, “Brides Across America (BAA) is a non-profit committed to loving one another by gifting weddings and wedding gowns to our military & first responders.

Whether it's for love of country or love at the altar, our military and first repsonders deserve our very best. Since 2008, Brides Across America has played a role in making their dreams come true by giving a military or first responder bride a free wedding gown during an “Operation Wedding Gown Event”.

To date we have gifted over 20,000 wedding dresses and over 20 free weddings. Each year we host dozens of Operation Wedding Gown giveaway events at participating bridal salons nationwide. Events are held in July (around Independence Day) and November (around Veteran's Day).”

Prom:

Do you have some formal gowns, clutches, or sparkly earrings collecting dust in the back of your closet? Check out W Girls, Project G.L.A.M.

From their website, “WGIRLS Inc. created Project Granting Lasting Amazing Memories (G.L.A.M.) to provide economically disadvantaged young women with prom dresses and accompanying accessories so they are able to enjoy the rite of passage of high school prom. To date, WGIRLS Inc. has outfitted over 14,000 young women in need for prom."

Coats:

Have a few extra coats? Maybe one or two your kids have outgrown? Check out One Warm Coat.

From their website, “One Warm Coat is a national non-profit organization that works to provide a free, warm coat to any person in need.

“One Warm Coat supports individuals, groups, companies and organizations across the country by providing the tools and resources needed to hold a successful coat drive. Coats are distributed in the communities where they were collected, to children and adults in need, without charge, discrimination or obligation.

Since One Warm Coat’s inception in 1992, we have worked with our volunteers to host more than 31,000 coat drives and have given away more than 5 million coats.”

Kids:

I feel like kids are best known for one thing - growing quickly. There are numerous charities and organizations that accept gently used kids clothing and toys.

• If you’re in Los Angeles, try Baby2Baby.

• If you’re in NYC or Boston, check out Room to Grow.

• If you’re in Washington, check out Clothes for Kids.

For something a little less location specific, try your Ronald McDonald House chapter or your local Women’s and Children center.

Shoes:

Have some shoes in good condition? Check out From the Sole.

From their website, “We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on collecting, refurbishing and giving away shoes & clothing to the homeless in New York City and other metropolitan areas.”

recycle:

Now, what do you do when you have a bunch of clothing that isn’t fit for swapping, selling, or donation? Then it comes down to textile recycling.

Now, with all recycling, I’m a little wary. Recycling is not a charity, it’s a business and it relies on having a market to sell the products.

So, just because we can recycle it doesn’t mean it will be recycled. This is why it’s better to reduce, reuse and THEN recycle.

Upcycle:

Cotton t-shirts make great rags. Think about cutting your tees into a squares of fabric for cleaning, napkins, hankies, etc.

Compost:

If your clothing is made from natural fibers like cotton, wool, silk, etc. you can compost it. However, the threads used to stitch it will 99% of the time be synthetic.

Textile Recycling:

• If you’re in San Francisco, there’s a textile recycling program run through the SF Department of the Environment.

• I:CO is working towards closing the loop in the clothing industry and recycle textiles into yarn, shoe soles, etc.

• Blue Jeans Go Green is dedicated towards recycling denim and turning it into insulation in homes. Madewell, Jcrew, Rag and Bone, they pop up in stores all across the US.

• Regrind your shoes with Nike regrind and turn them into basketball courts or tracks.

• Check out your local reuse center like the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse a lot of towns have these, so maybe check around to donate scrap fabric.

• Terracycle has a zero waste box specifically for textiles but it is spendy!

fixing the cause:

While donating and recycling is great, I can’t leave this blog post without mentioning that we should change our consumer habits.

It’s important to reduce the amount we buy, hone in on our personal styles, shop only with lists, implement a buy ban like waiting thirty days, and stop shopping as a hobby.

I hope you’ve found this blog post helpful and will use it as a reference the next time you clean out your closet!

10 Self Care Practices that are good for you and the environment

Going Zero Waste just turned FOUR! I can’t believe it - Happy birthday GZW! It has been a wild ride. This little hobby has turned into something I am so incredibly proud of and a full-time career!

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be here, but here I am… and I am so, so glad. Every day I’m filled with so much joy and a slight bit of terror since I control my own schedule...

Every year, I like to take this time to look back and then look at best practices going forward.

I’m super excited to share this post with you because it was sponsored by tentree. All thoughts and opinions are my own. For more information please see my disclosure policy.

You know that tentree is one of my favorite sustainable brands. I’ve included them in almost everyone of my roundups like favorite sustainable leisure wear, athletic wear, hiking essential and cute ethical clothes under $100.

What can I say!? I have a major love affair with this brand and their mission to pant 1 BILLION trees by 2030!! With every purchase you make, 10 trees are planted.

So, what’s NOT to love about reasonably priced, extra comfy, super cute, ethical pieces that have a positive social and environmental impact!?

I am seriously so happy to be partnering with them on this post and modeling some of my favorite pieces of theirs like the bamone sweatpants, yampa hoodie, and the Plateau 3.25 tee that I practically LIVE IN right now.

tentree is so thoughtful with their materials and dyes. Most of their clothing is made with natural fibers like organic cotton, hemp, and TENCEL.

I like clothing made from natural fibers because it’s breathable and I don’t have to worry about microplastics shedding into the water ways. Check out this post to learn more about microplastics.

To date, tentree has planted more than 25 million trees!!

Yes, you read that correctly 25 MILLION TREES and counting. These trees have been planted in communities all over the world, some of which include: Canada, United States, Nepal, Madagascar, Haiti, Senegal, and Cambodia.

Not only are these trees providing clean air and absorbing carbon, they’re also helping to build local economies.

Nepal has lost more than a quarter of its forest cover in 20 years which has created a lot of destabilization with the soil. In 2015, the 8.1 magnitude earthquake was worsened due to the lack of trees on the hillsides which resulted in unnecessary land/mudslides.

tentree's top priority in Nepal is soil stabilization. They have worked alongside community partners to plant thousands of trees both in the mountainous and grassland areas.

In addition to the planting, they’ve been able to help educate the villagers on sustainably harvesting the lumber and taking care of the trees to prevent future mudslides from both earthquakes and rainstorms.

This is only one of their many projects. Check out all of the other amazing ways tentree is working to plant trees and helping communities.

tentree is offering 20% off to all Going Zero Waste readers with the code 'GOINGZEROWASTE20'

looking back:

Wow, I have grown a lot in the last four years. What started out as a side project solely focusing on trash has opened my eyes to a world of other environmental problems like animal agriculture, fast fashion, carbon emissions, environmental racism, and so many more.

I have grown so much, and watched my world view and horizon expand exponentially.

looking forward:

I have definitely created a lot of bad habits. See, I didn’t know that you could burn out doing something you love. Have you heard the phrase, “Find something you love doing and you never work a day in your life.”?

Yeah - that saying is WRONG. So, so wrong. It should be “Find something you love doing and you kind of work all of the time.”  

By the end of last year I was SO burnt out. I had been working 14 hour days, sometimes 7 days a week. Because I love what I do so much, I just thought I could just continue at that pace forever… which is really unsustainable.

I started skipping meals, workouts, and then would just sit at my desk without moving for hours on end. And, if you were wondering, that’s not super healthy.

So, this year is my year of work life balance. I’ve created a lot of rules to try and make sure that I don’t allow work to consume me like it has in the past.

I’m not saying I will ALWAYS stick to my rules, but it’s something that I’m working on.

What I’ve realized, is that I can’t help the environment and do my job without taking care of myself.

Below, I’ve outlined ten different ways I take care of myself and how they relate to the environment. Since I write an eco-friendly blog, I want to make sure that all of my decisions are helping the planet even when I’m just chilling at home taking care of myself.

1. separate outfits:

You’re going to notice a big theme in this post is separation. Since I work from home, it’s become important to have defined and separate areas so my brain understands work time vs. non-work time.

I have created four different outfit categories like exercise, working from home/weekend, working while out, and then lounging around the house.

By putting on different outfits for different activities, it really helps my brain commit to one task. If I’m wearing sweatpants, I’ve noticed my productivity levels are lower which means it takes me much longer to get work tasks done.

If I can put on my business pants, I can get a task done quickly and then change into my leisure pants to actually enjoy my time off.

When I start mixing work with pleasure, I just kind of half-ass them both. When I make distinctions between the two I can thoroughly enjoy my time. This prevents me from allowing my time to bleed into too much of one area or the other.

How does this pertain to the environment?

When it comes to choosing the clothing that makes up these outfits, I’m always looking to support sustainable brands. I’m looking for ethical supply chains, sustainable fabrics, and brands that give back. One of my favs is tentree! Not only do they make my favorite tee on the face of the planet, I just love that I can be relaxing at home while still having a positive impact.

Favorite pieces?

You’ll see a few of my favorites photographed throughout this post, but I’ve listed my all time favorites below like the bamone sweatpants. These are my favorite pants of ALL. TIME.

exercise: the yampa hoodie has been accompanying me on my morning jogs since it’s still pretty chilly!

working from home: plateau 3.25 tee - what I've dubbed as the Positive Impact tee is my go-to working from home shirt cause who’s got two thumbs and trying to create a positive impact points thumbs at self THIS GIRL.

weekend out: the harbor tank I can’t wait for warmer weather to wear this down to the local biergarten with my friends!

working while out: The organic cotton twill camp pants this hits a nice line between comfort and office wear! ( My husband has the oaken pants also made from organic cotton twill and they are his favorite to wear to work!)

lounging around the house: Have I convinced you to get the bamone sweatpants yet?

2. separate tech:

Hardcore minimalists, cover your ears. I have two separate laptops. Yep. I have two separate laptops. Is your body filling with wasteful accusations, you’re ready to hurl at me?

Most people have a computer at work and a computer at home, so I’ve decided to implement that same principle into my life.

Because I’m addicted to working, the fun laptop is not signed into ANY work related websites like email, Instagram, or the blog.

Of course, I COULD log into them if I really wanted to, but most of the time once I hit that log-in screen, I’m snapped back into reality and reminded it’s not working hours. It’s relaxing/fun/clean your house hours.

This has been one of the most helpful rules I’ve implemented so much so, that I wish I had a separate work and non-work phone.

I’m sure you know how easy it is to get sucked into social media. You say you’re just going to check on one thing and the you look up and 20minutes to half an hour is just gone.

This happens to me all the time with working. I’m just going to go fix one thing, and then I look up and it’s been four hours and it’s time to go to bed.

How does this pertain to the environment?

When I use technology, I try to be very intentional about its usage. You’d be surprised how much energy it takes to run things like servers. You can read more in this post about how eco-friendly is technology.

3. separate spaces:

Did I say, that separation would be a theme here? The first of this year, I worked on creating an office space that I’d actually want to work in.

See, I have this weird quirk where I can’t work if I face a wall. It just makes my insides turn and my creative brain shut down. I have to be facing the room to let the creativity flow.

So, I got a few house plants and created and office space that inspires me. Then I made a rule (that I don’t always stick to but 98% of the time do) that work can only happen in the WORK ZONE. If I am not in the work zone, then work does not happen.

How does this pertain to the environment?

Instead of running out and buying new things for my office space, I rearranged things that I already had around my home to make it work. The only thing I got new was a few houseplants which is a great natural way to purify the air in my office. Check out this blog post for more tips on making your work place more eco-friendly.

4. tech free:

I have created tech free boundaries on the weekend. Similarly with the separate laptops, I try not to even be on my phone or laptop on the weekends. Often times I even delete my slack and Instagram app off of my phone so I’m not tempted to go on them.

This makes sure that I’m being present in what’s happening instead of getting sucked into the social vortex.

How does this pertain to the environment?

Less tech = less energy! I try to spend my tech free time reading, walking, with friends, and definitely enjoying some time out to eat.

5. self-care:

Self care for me is about so much more than floral baths and face masks. While I think those things are wonderful, self-care, for me, is about making myself do the grown up things that I don’t necessarily WANT to do… like flossing, paying my bills, unpacking (I HATE unpacking ((guess who still hasn’t fully unpacked from Phoenix in JANUARY)), cleaning the toilet, you get the idea.

See, when I was working so much, I only had time for working, sleeping, and a few hours of numbing my brain while playing puzzles and binge watching Death in Paradise for the fourth time.

Now that I’m giving myself space, I can work on being an adult which means doing those pesky things that I like to push off doing for a while.

How does this pertain to the environment?

I try to make my own face masks from kitchen ingredients instead of relying on those individually packaged sheet masks. My floss is compostable. I pay my bills online and signed up for e-statements to avoid any unnecessary paper.  I clean my toilet with homemade cleaners that are biodegradable.

And, because I hate packing/unpacking so much I don’t travel very often - so eco-friendly! ;) But, when I do travel 10/10 am wearing my bamone sweatpants!

6. exercise:

Exercise is another thing that I don’t particularly love doing… I know that as a eco/wellness blogger, I should LOVE exercise… but I don’t.

I never have never really enjoyed exercising, but I do it because I know that I should.

How does this pertain to the environment?

I really want to write a post about more eco-friendly workout options because conventional gyms can use a lot of power! I like to jog outside or go on a hike with Nala. I often do yoga at home with downdog love the hemp ice-fall tank for this!

I also love going to a dance class and occasionally hitting up barre or spin.

7. pizza friday:

Pizza Friday is my J-A-M. I look forward to Pizza Friday every single week. It has become a sacred ritual in my home.

My husband tends to work 10 hour days M-Th and then gets off early around 2pm on Fridays. I try really hard to get all of my work done for the week so we can spend this time on Friday together.

We both typically change into our comfiest clothes (tentree of course) pick out a double feature and order pizza! It is seriously - my favorite thing!!

How does this pertain to the environment?

Pizza is our favorite food, but if we’re going to order delivery we opt for pizza because the box is compostable. For more information check out this video on how to properly dispose of your pizza box!

8. tea time:

Most people have a morning coffee ritual, but mine is with tea. I try to make this time very calming. A time to think through my day without any distractions. I use it as a time to focus and center myself. I brew and drink one cup very mindfully.

It’s a really nice way to start my day and feel connected and ready to face whatever comes.

How does this pertain to the environment?

Instead of using a tea bag (which are often made from plastic!) I use loose leaf tea. You can read more about the teas of my choice in this post on how I quit coffee.

9. reading:

Every night at 9:30 I shut everything down. I get ready for bed and wind down with a book. There have been a lot of studies done about technology right before bedtime.

Tech can interfere with your quality of sleep (study) which is the last thing I need. It’s nice to plug my phone in (outside of the bedroom!) and then have a night time routine that’s totally tech-free.

How does this pertain to the environment?

I like to read physical books which might sound like an un-ecofriendly thing to do, but when comparing the carbon emissions of one book vs. an e-reader. You'd have to read 150 books on your e-reader to match the emissions of one physical book. ⁣

So, I buy books secondhand, use the library, and I also buy books firsthand to support authors! It’s a nice healthy mix of everything.

10.  scheduling:

I used to only schedule my work engagements and then try to find time for exercise and date night around those times. Now, I’m scheduling my exercise and my date nights FIRST and then fitting my work obligations around those things.

This means that I actually get to have a full and wonderful week beyond just being stuck to my laptop.

How does this pertain to the environment?

This one is a bit of a stretch, but volunteering my time is something that I also tend to put off so it’s something I mark down in my calendar too!

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I’m curious if you’ve implemented any of these practices in your life?

I’m really proud of these 10 practices that I’ve cultivated, and I’m excited to see how these habits will pay off in the coming year. I definitely think that I’m going to feel much happier, rejuvenated, and inspired when it comes to creating content.

I’m also really excited to track my growth for the future. Not just personally, but the trees that I plant! With each tentree purchase you get a code with your tag. You can enter that code on there website to see where your trees were planted.

With my last purchase, mine were planted in Madagascar! You can also track how many trees you’ve planted as well as the planting progress.

tentree is offering 20% off to all Going Zero Waste readers 'GOINGZEROWASTE20'

101 Ways to Go Zero Waste

I am so excited to announce my first book 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste! I am so proud of this book. It's everything I wish I had when I started going zero waste.

101 Ways to Go Zero Waste is a non-judgmental, beginners handbook for eco-friendly and sustainable living. It's 101 tips + a bunch of never before seen recipes for beauty, cleaning, and food scraps.

Now, I’ve been asked a bunch of questions about the book and I want to clear a few of them up!

win a signed copy & a Pela case!

You may or may not know, but I work for Pela. I’m their content creator so I write their blog posts and Sustainability Saturday email series.

Pela makes compostable phone cases that support different causes like Save the Waves, Oceana, and Surfrider. I have a penguin case… of course. ;)

You can check out this blog post, What’s in a Zero Waster’s Bag, I did with them way before I ever became an employee!

You can enter to win a Zero Waste Bundle on their website!

tell me about the book!

It’s a super easy to digest handbook full of 101 tips. You can read it cover to cover or just jump to the page/question that you need to read.

It’s the handbook I wish I had when I started going zero waste. It’s kind, non-judgmental and full of tips, tricks, and never before seen recipes.

If you remember, I used to be the DIY queen with tons of popular recipes like my zero waste mouthwash, eucalyptus showers, and homemade Febreze, but I’ve been saving all of my NEW recipes for the book.

Think homemade floor cleaner, botanical perfume, and a whitening toothpowder that’s so good my dentist got upset thinking I went somewhere else to get my teeth done for the wedding.

And, only one tip is grocery shopping, so if you don’t live in an area with a bulk store or a lot of package free options you don’t have to worry.

The book is dedicated in honor of my grandmother. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, then you know when I started the blog she was one of my biggest influences and inspirations, but she passed almost two years ago now.

what’s the big deal about pre-orders?

If you’ve seen me on social, then you know I’ve been chatting about pre-orders. Pre-orders are a BIG deal to make best seller lists. The catch, of course, is that the pre-orders have to be physical copies.

Best Seller Lists don’t count e-books or audio books which is super unfortunate, and I wish it weren’t that way.

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A post shared by Kathryn Kellogg (@going.zero.waste) on Mar 6, 2019 at 9:08am PST

how can I buy the book?

There are several ways.

Your local bookstore: This is my favorite way! You can call your local bookstore to pre-order and then go in store to pick it up. This of course is the easiest way to get the book without an extra packaging. Check out which local bookstores are carrying the book near you with Indiebound.

Amazon: If you pre-order the book on Amazon you can get it 30% off. My publishers have left explicit notes to package without plastic! Of course, there’s no guarantee, but we’re trying our best to ensure that.

A couple of people have asked, “Why even sell on Amazon when they’re such a wasteful company?” Well, it’s pretty much impossible to sell a book a not have it on Amazon. If you aren’t a fan of Amazon, there are other ways to order.

Barnes and Noble: You can pre-order the book at Barnes and Noble and also get 30% off, but I’m not sure if you can pre-order and pick it up in store. You can of course head to your B&N on April 2nd. I’ve heard that they are going to create a nice Earth Day display and my book will be included!

how is the book printed?

The book is printed on a mixture of recycled paper and forest service certified paper. FSC certified forests meet the highest environmental and social standards.

is the book plastic free?

Yep! The cover is not laminated it is paper which means the whole book is recyclable/compostable. But, obviously the book is reusable!! So, hopefully you won’t ever get to that point but instead you can pass it along to a friend, relative, donate or sell it.

why did you do this?

Of course, writing an eco-friendly blog I knew these comments would come. These comments are in an extreme minority. I don’t take stock in them, but I figured they should be addressed.

Comments like, “What about the trees? What about the zero waste? You are not being zero waste at all…” etc.

I want my book to reach as many people as possible. I want my book to affect change in as many people as possible. The best way to do that is with traditional PR and a traditional publisher which means real, printed books.

The book is printed on recycled paper and trees from a certified sustainable forest which is a renewable resource that captures carbon from the atmosphere.

The book is not a single-use disposable item, and if we were to compare e-readers to books, (this would be a great blog post!) we’d find it’s more emission heavy to create the e-reader than it is to buy 100 physical books. (source)

but you write a blog?

Yes! I do write a blog, and while there is some overlap (I mean how could there not be?) I do pride myself on having a created at least 80% new content and NEW recipes.

If you’ve wondered what happened to my practical, easy DIYs that work? Then be sure to check out the book! All of the new recipes I worked on for the last year are in there.

Including my favorite way to eat broccoli stems. yum.

you got unbiased reviews?

I do! I will be collecting them here as the come out.

Up first, Lauren Hannah’s review:

“It gives you all the hard facts without being preachy, and all the steps you can take to transition to a zero waste lifestyle are laid out in a way that makes them sound very doable!”

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I really hope that this clears up any questions that you might have had! But, please let me know if you have anymore and I’ve be happy to answer them.

And, of course, I hope you pre-order and LOVE 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.