Our Favorite Places To Recycle Apparel, Shoes & Hard to Recycle Items
One of our missions since opening our shop has been to make this world a better place. The biggest way we strive to do that is by growing to be as eco-conscious as we possibly can.
We also want to encourage others to do the same as well. Because even though large companies and manufacturers are what makes up a majority of the worlds waste & environmental impacts, by changing ourselves we can then change others.
Below we are listing our favorite places to recycle and donate apparel, shoes & hard to recycle items so they stay out of landfills.
1. TerraCycle -
TerraCycle is our number one recycling program because they offer such a wide range of recycling through their "national recycling solutions for typically hard-to-recycle waste streams." This includes items such as: various beauty product containers, cooking tools, coffee pods, pet food containers, and so much more.
TerraCycle also offers the ability to purchase large boxes for at home recycling goods that cannot be curbside recycled.
Click Here for their national recycling solutions & Click Here for their home recycling shipping boxes.
2. Planet Aid -
Okay we are obsessed with them.
Planet Aid is a donating and recycling program that accepts donations through their location of yellow bins, however they are also able to accept donations via purchase of a shipping label for just $15 and you can fill a box up to 70 lb!
Planet Aid can accept: clothing, shoes, bedding, towels, curtains, sleeping bags, socks, underwear, & bras. They even accept these items if they're not in great condition aka they can have holes and stains just as long as they're not tattered beyond repair, dirty, moldy or wet.
That's what makes this our second favorite recycling program because as you can see you can pretty much recycle ANY of your used textile goods as long as they are not beyond repair! Click Here to learn more and find a donation box / get a shipping label.
3. For Days -
They are not only an amazing sustainable brand (This is how they are sustainable: Zero waste. 100% recyclable fashion. Organic and recycled cottons. Non-toxic dyes. Earn closet cash with your purchase. Wear. Tear. Stain. Stretch. When you’re ready, swap out the old and use your closet cash toward your new For Days crush. This is closed-loop fashion.)
They Also allow you to send in your garments to be recycled, with the $ you pay for a garment bag going back to their closet cash credit so that you can use that money to purchase a sustainable garment! Win Win! Click Here for their recycling program.
4. H&M -
I actually used to be a Visual Merchandiser at H&M, so I know this company and their recycling program pretty well. It was actually one of the reasons I started working for the company because I saw they were using recycled goods to make products and working on sustainability along the way.
While I will also be transparent and say they could do a lot more because of how large their company is, they were one of the first large clothing brands to even begin talking about sustainability and recycling apparel.
You do have to go to a store to participate in their recycling program but you also receive a discount code for a future purchased whenever you hand in a bag for recycling, no matter how big or small! Click Here to learn more about their program.
5. Zappos for Good -
Okay we LOVE this one, perfect for those pieces that are gently used and still have a good lifespan left in them! Zappos has partnered with several charities to give back to communities and promote recycling.
Zappos will ship your items free of charge, while accepting multiple boxes as well! They just ask that no box is over 50 pounds and only ship from the continental US.
Through Zappos you are able to donate gently used apparel and shoes, new school supplies and backpacks, & new and gently used books to communities in need.
You are also able to recycle through various programs that they have partnered with including: Cotton (recycle old denim jeans), Native (recycle old native shoes) & Hunter (recycle old rubber Hunter boots).
Click Here to learn more about their amazing donating and recycling programs!
6. The North Face -
North Face is currently working towards being more sustainable and using 100% responsibly sourced materials by 2025. They already have sustainably conscious apparel and a renewed collection, where they repair old or damaged pieces and make them like new to be worn again.
But they also offer a recycling program where you can donate gently used apparel and footwear so that they can either recycle or donate them, they are partnered with Soles4Soles.
You do have to visit a North Face retail store or Outlet Store to donate. Click Here for more information on their recycling program.
We hope that our effects as a small business will grow and be able to one day change the way these large companies operate as well.