Clothes make the man and people make garbage - or not
The trousers are too short, the T-shirt too tight and the dress too small. After I had (once again) properly cleared out my closet, I was once again faced with a mountain of clothes. But what do I do with it now? Sending it back is not an option, but throwing it away is also out of the question. That means I need another solution.
I started by sorting the clothes into the following three piles and then thought about what to do with them:
Pile 1: Very good clothes
This pile consisted of clothes that were in very good condition and of high quality. I first decided to ask relatives if they would like some of these clothes. I uploaded the rest to various second-hand websites in order to earn a little more money from them. This worked well (for the most part). If you also plan to sell your clothes, always make sure to use reputable websites. If you don't want to resell your clothes online, a flea market in your area might be a good option.
Pile 2: Good clothes
As with the pile of "very good" clothes, I also asked relatives first in this case. As some of the clothes were also left over, I decided to donate them. I now do this regularly at the German Red Cross. The clothes are collected at the back door of the store by the staff, sorted and then hung up in the store. People in need can now buy the clothes for one or two euros. An alternative to the German Red Cross would be to put the clothes in used clothing containers or to visit other social department stores.
Pile 3: Less good clothing
I usually give clothes with small holes, for example, that I don't want to donate to a good friend. Compared to me, she is much more talented with a sewing machine and creates entire masterpieces from scraps of fabric. She often uses the garments as patterns to re-sew them with other fabrics, cuts them up and reassembles them or practises on them so as not to damage her own higher quality fabric. She then uses leftovers from sewing as filling material for the cushions she sews herself.
In addition, less good items of clothing can also be used as wiping cloths for garden or workshop work and car repairs. If you are about to paint your four walls, you should also have a few less good T-shirts to hand. These are not only used to protect your own clothes, but also to cover furniture or the floor.
If you have any questions about resources and waste, the staff at the resources and waste advisory service will be happy to help you.