Today’s Solutions: August 03, 2026

No matter how much you might want to keep repairing your longtime favorite shirt so you can keep wearing it, at some point, it’s time to let it go. But wait! Don’t throw in the trash. Textile waste, which includes everything from old shirts to carpets and comforters, is an enormous problem. We recycle a remarkably small percentage of textiles in the US, and in 2015, 10.5 million tons of textile waste ended up in our landfills. Instead of tossing your old clothes in the trash, here are a few ways to properly recycle it. One way is to drop off or mail in your old shirt to San-Francisco based retailer Marine Layer, which launched the “Re-Spun” recycling initiative aimed at tackling the problem with textile waste. For every t-shirt you drop off or mail in, you’ll receive $5 in credit, up to a limit of $25 (though there’s no limit on the number of tees you can donate, so it’s not a bad opportunity to declutter your closet once and for all). From here, according to Marine Layer’s website, the shirt will be broken down into fibers, turned into yarn, and then recycled into a new tee to be sold in stores. If you’re feeling a little cynical about a retailer making money off your old clothes, there are other ways to get rid of your old clothes. Of course, you can always try a consignment or thrift store, which may give you more (or less) than the value given by Marine Layer. If left with unsold clothing, however, stores like Goodwill may inevitably ship them off to a landfill. Otherwise, you can use Earth911’s locator to find a retailer or facility that’ll accept your used clothing; both H&M and the North Face stores accept any brand of clothing for recycling or reuse.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

The Great Bubble Barrier: bubble curtains are intercepting 86 percent of rive...

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Rivers are how plastic gets to the ocean. Stop it there, and you stop it for good. The ...

Read More

India connects 124 million rural homes to tap water

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Six years ago, fewer than one in six rural homes in India had a tap water connection. As ...

Read More

The biodegradable, self-cleaning fabric made from living caterpillar fungus

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The sustainable fashion industry has spent years trying to reduce harm: less water, fewer synthetic chemicals, more recycled ...

Read More

7 plants with super air-purifying powers

Houseplants are all great natural indoor air purifiers, but some are especially effective for improving indoor air quality. Here are seven houseplant varieties that ...

Read More