Zero Waste Action #4: Thrift Shops and Garage Sales

Image courtesy of Nilay Sozbir on Unsplash

Anyone that knows me well knows that I am not a big fan of shopping. I avoid it at all costs, unless going with a friend. Even then, I hardly buy anything, I just like to spend time with my shopping buddy. My shopping system used to involve two quick trips, one in the spring and one in the fall, to Target to stock up on any needed clothing replacements. But I still have quite a few articles of clothing in my closet that are going on 10 years now. Jeans seem to be only a two to three year article.

To save money though I started shopping at thrift stores where I could find pretty much everything I needed at a lower cost. A second and more important reason emerged for shopping at second hand stores or garage sales after listening to a 99 Percent Invisible episode a few months ago. They were talking about how overwhelmed Good Will is with donations. Especially with the Marie Kondo movement of people getting rid of their old stuff and only surrounding themselves with items that bring them joy. NPR did a story earlier this year on the spike in donations to Good Will and other thrift stores. I confess I am guilty of contributing to this problem. I read her book and then hauled a full carload of my old junk to the Good Will after a mildly successful garage sale.

According to the EPA, “the main source of textiles in municipal solid waste (MSW) is discarded clothing, although other smaller sources include furniture, carpets, tires, footwear, and other nondurable goods such as sheets and towels.” In 2017, 11.2 million tons of textiles ended in the landfill or 8% of all waste. We are improving at efforts to recycle clothing as more tonnage is diverted each year. In 2017 2.6 million tons were recycled up from 2 million tons in 2010. Just because your items end up at the Good Will does not always mean they were recycled. A four step process attempts to keep the clothing from the landfill (retail store, then outlet store, sold in bulk at an auction, and finally recycled to textile manufactures), but if the clothes are wet, moldy, or do not meet standards they end up in the landfill.

Despite landfilled textiles rising every year, the amount recycled is also gaining traction according to the above chart from the EPA

So how can you help divert some of this waste from the landfill? First step is to never throw it away. The Good Will and other thrift stores can most likely resell or recycle your clothing. Just make sure they are aren’t wet or moldy. Holes seem to be okay, they will just skip the retail floor step and go right to the textile recycling stage. Second step is to buy more clothes second hand, whether its from a garage sale (which my mother-in-law is a pro at finding) or a Good Will. There is a trendy thrift shop by my house which has a smaller selection, but more current fashion styles. I’m finding these types of stores more common in recent years. A final option is to try mending clothes before discarding them. I confess my sewing skills are pretty terrible, but I can mend a hole in a shirt or sew a button back on, extending the life of the clothing a few more years. Some day I would like to get to the stage of my former coworker and be able to alter clothing I buy second hand to fit better.

So I hope that during this gift giving holiday season and when making new years resolutions that you buy fewer new clothing items and recycling as much as possible whether donating to a thrift shop or mending the items you have.