About 75 percent of old clothes end up at the dump! That includes the clothes that you donate to thrift stores, as evidenced by my local Goodwill dumpster that is filled to the brim each week. The average American contributes over 50 pounds of clothing to the landfill each year!!

A recent Grist article suggested that sewing clubs might decrease waste:
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-01-10-join-a-sewing-c
lub-to-save-clothes-from-the-landfill

What do you do to green your wardrobe while looking good? I'm practicing buying less. I've noticed that no one cares whether I own 10 pairs of pants or just 4.

I like to bargain shop at second hand stores and thrift shops. There are a few in my area that I can take the clothes I no longer want and sell them or trade them for other previously worn clothes from the store. Its a great way to get "new" additions to your word robe without buying new clothes. Also taking an old t-shirt and changing it up can add variety to your existing collection. I like to take my older t-shirts that I might be bored with and cut the neck line off giving a crew neck shirt more of a boat neck or an off the shoulder feel. There are many ways to recycle your clothes into other items rather than donating them. I had never realized that donation centers just throw unwanted clothes into the trash! There has to be a better way to get rid of the items that are unwanted, even letting people rummage through them first for fabrics or materials.

I don't own many clothes in the first place so I don't have a problem. Just the basics. If I grow out of my clothes I pass it on to my younger siblings or cousins.

It is surprising to me that Goodwills throw out the clothes. It should be given away or donated if thats the case. I know that many people out there would want the clothes. I volunteer at a breakfast distribution where we pass out food, clothes, and toiletry. We never seem to have enough clothing and in these winter months especially it is quite sad.

I totally agree, we waste way too much clothing, but some of those number are even more shocking than I had imagined. That is why we are doing something about it locally at my campus this spring. In coordination with Earth Week (the week leading up to Earth Day) we are organizing a "clothing swap." We will call for donations for one week prior to the swap, and if you donate you can take clothing the day of (a leave something take something program). We will set up large clothing racks in central campus and allow anyone to participate. This will let people get new clothes even if they can only donate something small they do not need anymore. Students can take as much as they want (within reason) once they donate, and I feel the is an excellent way to combat waste and let people get a new wardrobe or some new style in their lives.

With two growing babies, we go through a ton of clothes each month. I have at least one black trash bag for each child per month of clothes that they've outgrown or worse-has shrunk in the wash! My friends and I have been doing a clothing swap with each other. They run out of older girl clothes and I make it work for my baby girl. My boy's clothes go to their younger boys. I have even given HUGE quantities of baby supplies and clothes to expectant moms. It's a great way to supplement her stash when everyone gives her newborn stuff.

If you have a huge surplus of clothes, try selling them in your front yard! Include some other unwanted things. You'd be amazed at what people will buy. I have done yard sales that total $300 in profit from baby clothes. The leftovers take to the consignment store or for kids things, go to KidtoKid. They buy kid stuff and then you can either get cash or credit to buy stuff at their store. There aren't many of these in the U.S., but there are definitely some around.