‘I don’t have anything to wear!’ We’ve all been guilty of this familiar complaint, while gazing at the voluminous pile of outfits in the closet. It’s difficult to lead a minimalist lifestyle when new items are being released every day and your favourite fashion blogger tells you that you simply must own a latest trend. According to research, the garment sector creates an astounding 53 million tonnes of fibre annually, with 70 per cent of that fibre ending up in landfills. For upcycling brands, this excess is good news, since they reuse your old clothing to create new items. Here’s a compiled list of places that lets you donate unwanted clothing which will be repurposed.
Punah, Indore
Through handicraft modifications, this sustainable design firm hopes to offer each piece of clothing a second chance. This is an attempt to create unique items that you may use afterwards. When you've sorted through your clothes and determined which ones you want to part with, contact Punah rather than throwing them out. Once that’s done, they will schedule a pickup based on your location and sort through the fabric to see which items can be repurposed.
Oh Scrap! Madras, Chennai
This project intends to breathe new life into clothing by gathering fabric scraps from city tailors and exporters and fashioning them into new and sustainable products. The brand accepts fabric scraps from home linen, sarees, dupattas, summer clothing, jeans. A prerequisite is that the clothes need to be freshly cleaned and if the donor is located in Chennai, a pick-up is arranged after that. The clothes are then evaluated basis their condition, whether they can be upcycled or donated. If they are in fantastic shape, Oh Scrap! recommends thrift shops that will accept them.
Rimagined, Bengaluru
Shailaja Rangarajan, a business consultant, wished to contribute to the waste management solution. In order to lessen the quantity of clothing that ends up in landfills, she launched the brand in 2016 and used it to upcycle clothing into new outfits and home décor in the years that followed. The brand chooses what happens to donated clothing after consumers provide details about the types of items they wish to part with. They prefer not to rip apart clothes that are in good condition, so if anything is still wearable, it’s redirected to Restore, a thrift store in Bengaluru. If the donors are contributing sarees, bed linens, or curtains, they are requested to ship it to their Kolkata centre where it can be upcycled.
Ka-Sha, Pune
Clothes are seen as a celebration of life at Ka-Sha. As a 2012 startup, the brand made the decision to act after realising the amount of trash produced by the fashion industry. The brand specialises in upcycling sarees into dresses. They share three different styles with the customers to choose from, to understand how they’d like their sarees to be repurposed into a dress. The brand also makes use of donated fabric waste from corporations and businesses to make its products such as bags, rugs, cushion covers, and other items. They make use of jute and tarpaulin for their packaging.
The Clothes Box Foundation, Delhi
This NGO located in Delhi has made people happy by distributing 3.5 million wearables so far. Through their programme Refresh, it gives rural women the opportunity to make money by turning discarded materials into products like blankets and bags. In addition, the organisation distributes the clothing donations to underprivileged individuals.
Goonj, Mumbai
Goonj provides a list of dos and don'ts when it comes to clothing donations, similar to most NGOs. The list begins with respecting the dignity of those who are less fortunate and being aware of the items you are donating. Goonj offers locations in four different parts of Mumbai where you can conveniently drop off the boxes you need. If you find other people who seem interested, then you can set up a collection camp in your complex/society.
Twirl, Kolkata
The days of buying clothing exclusively for festivals like Diwali or Durga Puja are long gone. Sujata Chatterjee, Founder of Twirl started this project after noticing the excess of discarded apparel. The brand gathers used clothing and fabric from willing donors and either upcycles or donates it to individuals. Regarding the procedure for donating these garments, individuals can dispose of their old clothing in boxes placed in key areas throughout Kolkata. In addition, the company provides complimentary doorstep pickup nationwide.
Image source: The Insider, Shopify, Alphonso stories, Apartment therapy, Dress up and blossom