The brilliant new way to downsize clothing

Clothes can be tricky to downsize. There's not a huge second-hand market for them. So much is donated - far more than the charity shops can ever sell to their handful of customers.

What's the best thing to do?

For me it's been an ethical dilemma. Unwanted clothes versus unwanted landfill.

Until now

Now there's a more planet-friendly option. One that comes with rewards.

Drop-off at H&M stores

Fashion store H&M has a zero waste goal for the clothes (and other textiles) that you drop off in their recycle stations. So far they've taken in the equivalent of 89 million T-shirts for their Rewear, Reuse, Recycle process.

Rewear

Clothing that can be reworn is sent overseas for second-hand use.

Reuse

Textiles no longer suitable to wear are converted into products such as cleaning cloths.

Recycle

Textiles that can't be reused are recycled into textile fibres or used to manufacture products such as insulation materials.

Reward

For each bag of used textiles they'll give you a discount voucher. I think 15% off your next item. If you don't need it (or find it too tempting) then pass it on. It's a chance to brighten the day of a random shopper.

What to do

Up the back of the shop, look for a recycle station like this one.

To get your voucher, talk to a staff member first. For more information see H&M Recycle your clothes or their partner Ico-spirit.

PS. If you've are looking to sell some of your really-good-condition clothing online, you may want to grab a free copy of my ebook Less Clutter More Cash for tips on selling online.

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