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What are you supposed to do with old clothes?

theatlantic.com

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Re: What are you supposed to do with old clothes?

#31

Post by smileysteve »

logifail wrote: post #12
capableweb wrote: post #2

All the countries I've lived in during my life (4) have had various types of "boxes" on the street where you can dump clothes, which subsequently gets donated to various organizations that handles giving clothes to people in need. Since I've found this in every country I've lived, I thought this was ubiquitous in the modern world. Am I maybe blinded by my experience here?

> All the countries I've lived in during my life (4) have had various types of "boxes" on the street where you can dump clothes, which subsequently gets donated to various organizations that handles giving clothes to people in need [..] Q1: To which people? Q2: As a 'donor', how is one supposed to be able to determine what actually happens after your throw your clothes in the box?

To which people?

In best cases, to domestic thrift stores, which are hoping to create retail jobs for people (often a bridge job to get training, a work history) with customers including homeless, thrift treasure seekers, costume shoppers, college students, near poverty, in poverty, makers, reusers and more.

Middle case, they get shredded into insulation or dollar bills.

Worse case, they flood Africa as finished textiles obliterating the local market.

Re: What are you supposed to do with old clothes?

#33

Post by viburnum »

WillAdams wrote: post #5

I wear old clothes when doing yard work or woodworking or metalworking --- by the time I'm done, they're only suited to be cut up for rags, and I have a jar which I clip the buttons into --- if a zipper is YKK and still in good condition I'll cut around it in case I need to replace a zipper on something. I've tried to convince my wife to take up quilting, but she has zero interest, and I don't have the time.

Clothes are generally difficult to quilt with because the fabric stretches too much.

Re: What are you supposed to do with old clothes?

#34

Post by CPLX »

trgn wrote: post #22

> There is simply no easy, universal guidance for the most Earth-friendly or hassle-free or socially good way for you to dispose of your old clothes But there is. In fact, the answer is right in the setup of the article. > For much of American history [...] most of the population considered the endless accumulation of material goods unseemly, Basically, don't buy so many clothes to begin with. And then you don't have…

This may come as a shock as I admit the extent of it surprised me as well, but the speed with which children change size soundly outstrips the lifetime of the average piece of clothing.

And I’ve heard rumors that adults change size quite a bit as well. Sometimes they move from one place to another too.

Re: What are you supposed to do with old clothes?

#35

Post by acomjean »

racl101 wrote: post #16

As a guy who has always worn hand-me-downs in child hood and teenage years I wear my clothes out until they are no longer wearable. So I just convert them into rags or toss them in the trash once they have too many tears.

On a construction site I was working on, the box of "recycled rags" was just old t-shirts cut up.

they're still doing it:

https://nowlinens.com/collections/tshirt-rags/products/pro-c...

Re: What are you supposed to do with old clothes?

#36

Post by donatj »

Is this a problem everyone has? This is a problem my wife has, and a cause of arguments amongst us.

I wear clothes until I get a hole in it. Classically this would be when I would throw it out. I thought this was a waste of money and I have learned to darn (from an HN post no less) - I do not buy clothes until there I a serious gap in my collection, and even then it's usually because my wife has dragged me to the store.

Re: What are you supposed to do with old clothes?

#37

Post by trgn »

pwinnski wrote: post #27
trgn wrote: post #22

> There is simply no easy, universal guidance for the most Earth-friendly or hassle-free or socially good way for you to dispose of your old clothes But there is. In fact, the answer is right in the setup of the article. > For much of American history [...] most of the population considered the endless accumulation of material goods unseemly, Basically, don't buy so many clothes to begin with. And then you don't have…

100% agree on reducing! Still, are you suggesting that clothes should be kept forever? Because whether you're talking about someone who discards entire wardrobes at the end of every season, or someone who rotates the same very-few items until they no longer fit, at some point people still need to do something with old clothes.

> Still, are you suggesting that clothes should be kept forever?

Fair point!

> Because whether you're talking about someone who discards entire wardrobes at the end of every season

I would assume these people buy high-end garments, and you'll find more boutique second hand stores that will take it. I suspect, if somebody is that devoted to fashion, it's more of a hobby or a passion, and I think we're all allowed a few vices, splurges, and wasteful pleasures.

> or someone who rotates the same very-few items until they no longer fit

I think the natural end point for heavily worn clothes would be as a rag?

Re: What are you supposed to do with old clothes?

#38

Post by bigfudge »

CPLX wrote: post #34
trgn wrote: post #22

> There is simply no easy, universal guidance for the most Earth-friendly or hassle-free or socially good way for you to dispose of your old clothes But there is. In fact, the answer is right in the setup of the article. > For much of American history [...] most of the population considered the endless accumulation of material goods unseemly, Basically, don't buy so many clothes to begin with. And then you don't have…

This may come as a shock as I admit the extent of it surprised me as well, but the speed with which children change size soundly outstrips the lifetime of the average piece of clothing. And I’ve heard rumors that adults change size quite a bit as well. Sometimes they move from one place to another too.

Right, but there tend to be other children who are smaller not far away. It always strikes me as weird how many parents seem to have something against passing on clothes between kids.

Re: What are you supposed to do with old clothes?

#39

Post by ziddoap »

trgn wrote: post #22

> There is simply no easy, universal guidance for the most Earth-friendly or hassle-free or socially good way for you to dispose of your old clothes But there is. In fact, the answer is right in the setup of the article. > For much of American history [...] most of the population considered the endless accumulation of material goods unseemly, Basically, don't buy so many clothes to begin with. And then you don't have…

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to walk around naked, so I am forced to purchase clothes at some point. And at some later point, I have to dispose of them.

Your comment doesn't seem to address that, and it's pretty fundamental to the question, I think.

Re: What are you supposed to do with old clothes?

#40

Post by trgn »

CPLX wrote: post #34
trgn wrote: post #22

> There is simply no easy, universal guidance for the most Earth-friendly or hassle-free or socially good way for you to dispose of your old clothes But there is. In fact, the answer is right in the setup of the article. > For much of American history [...] most of the population considered the endless accumulation of material goods unseemly, Basically, don't buy so many clothes to begin with. And then you don't have…

This may come as a shock as I admit the extent of it surprised me as well, but the speed with which children change size soundly outstrips the lifetime of the average piece of clothing. And I’ve heard rumors that adults change size quite a bit as well. Sometimes they move from one place to another too.

I know. But I find it actually quite easy to get rid of lightly worn children clothes, and donate them. Mostly informal networks, but a lot of more formal exchanges as well. e.g. also includes car seats, strollers, ...

> And I’ve heard rumors that adults change size quite a bit as well.

Tell me about it. But I was able to trade my nicer stuff (suits, shirts) no problem. Not the junk.

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