green is universal

Skeletons in the Closet?

Dear Mr. Green,

I'm wondering... how old is old when it comes to clothing and shoes?  At what point is it appropriate to give hand-me-downs or donate clothes and shoes, etc. and when do you just throw them away?

Thanks!
Skeletons in the Closet

Dear From Couture Threads to Caring Thrift,

Making a contribution of your old duds to a charitable organization is the best way to keep your faded-fashion out of waste disposal sites.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Solid Waste, Americans have dumped over 9 million tons of just about anything with a thread count into landfills nationwide... that includes bath towels, sheets, draperies, blankets, table cloths, napkins, and clothing... and it's all just sitting there in a heap, barely decomposing, off-gassing, and fouling the earth.

But when you donate even your oldest, most unwanted, unraveling, or otherwise thread-worn garments to your favorite charity, even though it probably won't end up as clothing for someone in need, it will, however, probably have a very green reincarnation.

Here's what happens when you drop off your carton of clothing.

First, the charitable organizations sell things you donate in their thrift shops. The crème-de-la-crème of castoffs are chosen and then hung and organized in that mind-boggling rainbow configuration they are, for some unknown reason, bent on.

The stuff that usually doesn't make the first cut is then sold off by classification...blouses, shirts, chinos, khakis, denims, (the occasional sans-a-belt trouser and daffodil nylon polyester hot-pant), wingtips, sandals, sneakers, pumps, (knee high patent-leather go-go-boots?) along with coats of all shapes and sizes and are then shipped to developing countries and are sold. (Maybe that's why kids from all over the world are starting to look like mall rats.)

Then what happens to the not-great-but-not-so-bad junk? (This is the best part of the whole donation process!) It's sold off to manufacturers/processors by the specific kind of fiber it's made of and then it's recycled into the fabrics we sometimes find as part of new garments found in retail stores. (Years ago I bought a nubby chocolate brown jacket not just because I liked it, but also because the label inside said "Made of unidentified fibers from unknown sources." Mystery solved!)

And what about all the bits and pieces that have absolutely no redemptive quality whatsoever? That remaining pile is then sold off to textile recyclers who end up turning the dregs into rags, paper pulp, innards for furniture - and in some instances - even household insulation.

It all ends up going to good causes and what's more... your donated fabrics don't end up in the ground! The upshot is that 100% of the textiles donated find a new life beyond your purposes.

So even if it's in tatters - as long as it's clean - donating your ugly, dated, frayed, torn, ragged, dilapidated, threadbare and shabbiest is the best thing you can do for the environment and for anyone who might breathe new life into your otherwise lifeless cast-offs.

about mr. green

From re-gifting, re-cycling, to natural cleaning products for your home, Mr. Green has all of your ecotiquette answers. Our Mr. Green (aka. Michael De Jong), is the author of "CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing." He lives in Jersey City with his partner (Richard,) dog (Jack,) and three goldfish (Phil, Jill and Gill) all of which benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. De Jong, who cleaned apartments in New York City while working as a fine artist, began researching and inventing many of the recipes in "CLEAN" and is continually experimenting with safe, effective and eco-friendly alternatives. Raised in the mid-West by an immigrant family that valued the environment and re-cycled before it was fashionable, his quest for non-toxic solutions comes naturally to him. He is currently writing a companion series of "CLEAN" books dealing with such topics as the body, first aid, organization, and food, as well as posting a weekly Blog on www.thedailygreen.com. "CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing" can be purchased at Barnes & Noble stores across the country or on-line at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com.

Click here to send him a question and he'll put in the elbow grease to scrub out the answers!