Recycling clothes

[cantkeepawayforever]

Not really Style and Beauty, i suppose, but perhaps a side effect!

I have accumulated a number of bags of old clothes over the past couple of years. My children are now older teens, so much is their outgrown stuff.

Some is genuinely worn out, but much is lightly worn but very 'normal' (H&M, M&S etc) from the fast-growing years.

What is the best way to recycle this? I don't want to list on eBay, I'd like for them to be re-used at the highest level possible so not go for rags unnecessarily. My impression of charity shops if that they don't necessarily sell a lot of 'cheaper brand' clothing, especially not children's clothing, as it is so cheap to buy new. I know some shops recycle 'what they sell', so e.g. Curry's recycles electricals, which I presume is a bit more efficient because there will be less contamination of the waste stream than dropping them at the tip.

Tip? Clothes bank? Careful sort and deliver some to chosen charity shops in small quantities? Any retailers who do a 'general' clothes recycling scheme?

I usually give mine to Red Cross now and it's nice they occasionally tell me how much money my clothes raised for them.

A women/childrens shelter might take some of them.

Warm clothing, in particular mens, were always needed in the hospital I worked at. We had a cupboard of clean, 2nd hand clothes, to use when peoples clothes had been cut off them in A&E or covered in blood/vomit etc!

The stuff that’s genuinely worn out look for a clothes recycling bin.

The stuff with some wear left it look for a clothes bank for children. In Edinburgh there is one called “Kids Love Clothes”.

I used to volunteer as drop off point/sorter for them. They won’t accept anything stained or which could invoke a feeling of being stigmatised in a child, as many of the families they work with are already very socially vulnerable.

I'd you don't want to sell it on vinted, sort it into separate bags of worn and for re sale. Label the worn bag as clean rags.

Not sure what else you can do with regards to what happens to it when you have donated it.

Selling the very good items on vinted is a great if you have the time.

I put any good quality stuff into the Salvation Army bin or charity shop. And anything else I usually bag up and give to H&M in exchange for a £5 voucher

Oxfam have a clothing recycling facility in West Yorkshire, so what you donate will either be sold or recycled. If you put anything stained or unwearable in a separate bag marked as rags they can send it straight there.

Also oxfam if one item is a m&s item you get a £5 voucher to spend off a £35 spend on Clothing or beauty.