How to Recycle Old T-Shirts
Everything I wear is full of holes.
I hate shopping, so I get stuck in an endless cycle of wearing things until they are in tatters hanging from my body. Now, whole shelves in my closet are reserved for old things that lie there like sad trophies. But how do I get rid of my old T-shirts without throwing them in the trash can, where they end up in a landfill?
Well, textile waste, which includes everything from carpets and blankets to clothes in your closet, is a huge problem. We recycle a very small percentage of textiles in the United States, and in 2015, 10.5 million tonnes of textile waste ended up in our landfills, according to the EPA website . Why is this happening? Most likely because we just don’t know how to recycle used clothing – unlike plastic bottles or cardboard boxes, they can’t always end up in our trash cans and go to greener pastures.
However, this week, San Francisco retailer Marine Layer launched the Re-Spun program, a recycling initiative designed to address exactly this problem. Through its Re-Spun program, Marine Layer allows anyone to leave their old T-shirts in stores or send them in prepaid mail. For every T-shirt you leave or mail, you will receive $ 5 in credit, but no more than $ 25 (although there is no limit on the number of T-shirts you can donate, so this is a good opportunity to clean up the clutter in the closet once and for always).
From here, according to the Marine Layer website , the shirt will be fiberized, turned into yarn, and then recycled into a new T-shirt to be sold in stores. Marine Layer will suit any brand and most types of T-shirts, but cotton is preferred; The only exceptions are spandex shirts, which are harder to break and therefore not easy to recycle.
If you’re a little cynical about a retailer who makes money off your old clothes (recycled T-shirts currently have no retail price, but the cheapest shirt in Marine Layer sells for $ 39, so it’s safe to assume they do good profit) there are other ways to get rid of old clothes.
Of course, you can always try a thrift store or a thrift store that can give you more (or less) than what Marine Layer says. However, if they are left with unsold clothes, stores like Goodwill may inevitably send them to landfill . Otherwise, you can use the Earth911 locator to find a vendor or facility that will accept your used clothing; Both H&M and North Face stores accept any brand of clothing for recycling or reuse (although they may not necessarily give you credit, they may provide a discount for a future sale).
So the new Marine Layer service is just one of many options, and appears to be a very good deal. They ‘ll even accept t-shirts with rips, smudges, or holes so that your tattered old college shirts can finally find a new home.