Seriously, What Are You Supposed to Do With Old Clothes?
There are no good solutions to the problems of closet clean-out.
TL;DR
- The author experienced a personal crisis of closet space due to accumulating too many clothes.
- A 2021 survey indicated that 14% of respondents were satisfied with their closets, while the rest wanted to discard items.
- The availability and affordability of clothing have increased over the past two decades due to fast fashion and online shopping.
- Despite various disposal options like donation, resale, and recycling, there is no easy or universally eco-friendly way to get rid of old clothes.
- Textile waste has significantly increased, with 11.3 million tons estimated in 2018.
- Many services promise sustainable disposal, but a large portion of clothes still ends up in landfills.
- The problem of clothing waste is a modern phenomenon, contrasting with historical values of thrift and home-produced clothing.