WHAT TO DO WITH OLD POLYESTER LEGGINGS & OTHER CLOTHES
5 CLOTHING RECYCLING & TAKE-BACK PROGRAMS TO KNOW
Have a pair of old polyester leggings sitting in the back of your closet? Or perhaps some socks, jeans, bras, or other apparel that you no longer use? If your pieces are stretched out, pilling, or simply no longer wearable, you might be wondering if these garments can be recycled.
The short answer is: sometimes, but they don't belong in our curbside recycling bins.
According to the United Nations, 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced each year. It's estimated that only 1% of discarded garments are recycled.
Clothing generally needs to go through a specialized textile collection or recycling program. Thankfully, several clothing brands have created take-back and recycling programs that give old garments another possible use instead of sending them straight to the landfill.
Here are 5 programs that are worth knowing about for your next closet cleanout if you are aiming to keep your old clothes out of landfills.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP CLOTHES OUT OF LANDFILLS?
According to the UN, a lot of discarded clothing ends up in landfills in lower income countries where waste management infrastructure could be lacking. This can lead to burning of clothes, which is a serious environmental concern.
When clothes do end up in our landfills, they can take years to decompose and also release microplastics into our environment while doing so.
CAN YOU RECYCLE POLYESTER LEGGINGS?
Polyester is a synthetic fiber made from plastic, and polyester clothing can technically be recycled. However, that doesn't mean every polyester garment can be recycled through your local recycling program.
Textile recycling is different from household recycling. Clothing often contains blends of different fibers, elastane, dyes, trims, zippers, and other components that make recycling a bit more complicated.
So what should you do with old polyester leggings?
If they're still wearable, consider:
- Reselling or donating them
- Checking whether the brand has a take-back program (see examples below)
- Using a specialized textile recycling program if they're too worn to wear again (see examples below)
1. SUBSET: RECYCLE LEGGINGS FROM ANY BRAND
If you're specifically searching for where to recycle old polyester leggings, this can be a great starting point.
Subset's recycling program began in 2018 as an intimate-apparel recycling program, but it has since expanded through its partnership with Trashie.
The Trashie Take Back Bag accepts clothing from any brand and in any condition.
What can you send?
According to Subset, the program accepts:
- Leggings
- Underwear
- Bras
- Socks
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Towels
- Bedding
- Other textiles
The items should be clean, but they don't need to be wearable.
How does it work?
You purchase a Trashie Take Back Bag (it's $20 on Subset's website), fill it with up to 15 pounds of textiles, register the bag, and ship it using the provided prepaid shipping process. The collected items are sorted to determine their best possible next use. Trashie's website mentions that they have 613 categories they use for sorting. 95% of what's submitted to Trashie goes into the resale or recycle category. For pieces that are resold successfully, the proceeds go to charities. For clothing that is recycled, the fibers can be turned into insulation or wiping cloths for example.
The remaining 5% of the pieces that can't be salvaged will be waste that gets handled in the U.S. instead of being shipped abroad. When you purchase a Trashie bag from Subset, Subset in turn gives you a 20% off coupon for your next purchase with them.
Subset says its program has recycled more than 2 million items since launching in 2018.
Best for: Old leggings and other textiles that aren't necessarily wearable anymore.
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2. THE GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE: RECYCLE LEGGINGS FROM ANY BRAND
The Girlfriend Collective also takes in pieces from any brand, and they partner with SuperCircle for their recycling program. Their website mentions that they will take any clothing items in any condition as long as they are washed beforehand.
SuperCircle inspects each item to see if they can be reused or recycled. For pieces that are recycled, they can be turned into new materials (like fabric) or downcycled for industrial purposes (like insulation).
You can start the process with the Girlfriend Collective by putting down a $15 deposit, and they will refund the $15 if you make a Girlfriend Collective purchase in the next 30 days. If you are recycling a Girlfriend Collective item, you get $10 in Girlfriend Collective credit. For any other items, you get $5 in Girlfriend Collective credit.
Best for: Old activewear, bras, jackets, and etc.
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3. AMERICAN EAGLE: RECYCLE OLD JEANS
American Eagle's program is a little more specific.
Through its partnership with Cotton's Blue Jeans Go Green™ program, American Eagle is collecting old denim for recycling.
The program is designed for jeans, rather than general clothing, so this is a useful option if you're cleaning out your closet and have old denim.
You can bring in jeans from any brand to your nearest American Eagle store as long as they are made from at least 90% cotton.
American Eagle in turn offers $10 off your next pair of American Eagle jeans. The Cotton's Blue Jeans Go Green™ program takes your jeans and turns them into insulation.
Best for: Old jeans and denim.
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4. SMARTWOOL: RECYCLE YOUR OLD SOCKS
Smartwool has taken a similarly focused approach with its Second Cut™ Project, which was created specifically to tackle hard-to-recycle socks.
The program accepts clean socks from any brand, color, size, or material, including heavily worn Smartwool socks.
You can participate by ordering a free sock recycling kit with a prepaid shipping label, or by dropping socks off during participating take-back events.
Smartwool partners with Material Return™ to collect and deconstruct the socks, which are then repurposed into materials for new goods. Smartwool reports that more than 1.3 million socks have been collected through the program and more than 105,000 pounds of material have been kept from landfills.
Best for: Old socks.
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5. UNIQLO: RETURN YOUR OLD UNIQLO CLOTHES
If your leggings are from UNIQLO, there's another option.
UNIQLO's RE.UNIQLO program collects unwanted UNIQLO clothing through collection bins in its stores nationwide.
The program prioritizes reuse before recycling:
- Clothing that's still wearable may be donated through UNIQLO's community partners.
- Items that aren't suitable for donation are sent to a textile recycling partner.
Items need to be clean.
The program currently accepts UNIQLO clothing only.
That means your old UNIQLO polyester leggings could potentially be returned through RE.UNIQLO even if they're no longer wearable.
Best for: Unwanted UNIQLO clothing, including worn-out pieces that aren't suitable for donation.
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THE BOTTOM LINE
If you're wondering what to do with old polyester leggings, don't automatically throw them away.
If they're still wearable, look for a way to reuse or donate them. If they're worn out, look for a specialized textile take-back program that explicitly accepts leggings or synthetic apparel.
And going forward, knowing how a garment can be handled at the end of its life is just one more reason to consider what our clothes are made of before we buy them.
Looking for clothing made with natural fibers? Check out our curated selection on Cotina for more options.