How to get rid of torn unwearable clothes?

June 11, 2018 12:51 PM

Myself and my partner have multiple large bags of unwearable clothes (torn beyond repair, worn through etc) that don't seem any good to donate. We live in Astoria, Queens, New York and we'd like to dispose of them without them going to landfill. Despite attempts on Google we can't seem to find a place likely to accept them without carrying heavy bags a long distance (we don't drive). Any ideas on how to rid ourselves of them?

We can find lots of places that will take clothes in wearable condition, and it has been easy to get rid of that stuff through charity bins, GoodWill or to friends.

posted by ElliotH to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

In my location, Goodwill does recycle torn/stained clothing. Maybe call your local store to double check that they won't throw it out. I know that the North Face also collects clothing in any condition, but the closest would be in Manhattan.
posted by pinochiette at 12:59 PM on June 11, 2018 [4 favorites]

GrowNYC does clothing collection at the city's Greenmarkets (not sure if there is one in Astoria, but surely in Queens). From their site:

What happens to materials donated?
Textiles are collected by Wearable Collections and taken to a sorting facility where they are sorted into different grades, with an effort to recover as much usable clothing as possible for distribution to second-hand markets. Material that is not suitable for reuse will go to recycling markets to be used as wiping rags or shredded for low grade fiber products such as insulation.
posted by CiaoMela at 1:00 PM on June 11, 2018 [9 favorites]

Best answer: Is there an H and M store nearby? They will take it and sort. Rags will be down cycled into insulation etc.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 1:17 PM on June 11, 2018 [2 favorites]

There's an animal shelter near me that takes them to use for bedding. Might be an option near you.
posted by BenevolentActor at 1:32 PM on June 11, 2018 [3 favorites]

Freecycle, where crafters might be interested in some of it, especially if you can divide it up by fabric type. Wool (very popular), cotton weave (khakis and jeans), cotton knit (t-shirts), etc. A lot of clothing is made of fabric blends, so if the categories aren't 100 percent, be clear about that.
posted by soelo at 1:46 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]

We drop ours off at a compost site run via GrowNYC. I believe Jackson Heights does one on Sunday but there isn't one in Astoria proper.
posted by neematoad at 1:59 PM on June 11, 2018

Best answer: As a professional organizer, I'm constantly researching where to donate and/or recycle things. For example, old blue jeans can be used to make insulation, so you can recycle them through Blue Jeans Go Green, and either mail them or take them in to J. Crew or Madewell (and even get coupons).

For generalized worn/stained clothing, you can recycle by going to the American Council for Textile Recycling and use the search box to find the location closest to you. I Googled a zip code (though probably not your zip code) for Astoria and got five Goodwill locations.

The website for the American Textile Recyling Service is having trouble, so I called them on your behalf and asked them where was the best dropoff in/near Astoria, but because their website is floopy right now, all she could do is take a message. So, you can call at 866-900-9308 and they'll take your message and call back with locations.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 2:06 PM on June 11, 2018 [18 favorites]

In our area Salvation Army will take them for rags.
posted by Enid Lareg at 2:29 PM on June 11, 2018

Yeah, in our area both Goodwill and the Salvation Army will accept all donations and they sort through everything; what can't be resold is sold as ragstock.
posted by craven_morhead at 8:16 AM on June 12, 2018

Quilters club
posted by mikecable at 10:46 AM on June 13, 2018