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Enough is Never Enough until You can’t take it Anymore.
Recycling, Donating, Composting or Repurposing Your Clothing - Textile Recycling
Rio, Demilade and Asa can’t wait to take their first girls’ getaway road trip. It’s been over a year since their last getaway - before the world almost came to a grinding halt.
Thanks to rare and precious gems, friends like Rio, “Planner Extraordinaire.” who immediately kicked into high gear planning mode, from the moment, all three agreed this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. That was 9 weeks ago.
The BIG REVEAL. Last week, she shared with them a fun itinerary highlighting a day to day breakdown of activities and stops as well as the amazing selection of Air B and B’s they would be staying at in Savannah, Georgia, Virginia and New Jersey and details of their one-way car rental and booked return flight reservations.
Asa is beyond ecstatic as she looks forward to checking a number of states off her list and the best part she gets to declutter and tidy up her closet as she packs for the trip.
Demilade can’t wait to finally style her pieces on this trip, having made the conscious decision to go on a retail therapy cleanse until all pieces with tags are worn. For some of her pieces, it’s been almost three years since she made the purchase. Then there is the elephant in the room.
The day of reckoning is finally here and left with no other options, she gets to take on her “washed laundry demons” - the mountain of laundry sitting in the basket on the floor of her walk-in closet. Blame it on her busy schedule or maybe not. Even on days when she has had some down time, the last thing on her mind has been to put things away.
Top on her packing list are a few of her favorite “Lounge Around in Comfort'' versatile basics - t-shirts, leggings, shorts and scarves.
Thanks to the many Marie Kondo YouTube videos marathon watching sessions in the heat of the lockdown, Demilade has come up with a system with her labelled thrifted rattan baskets for the separate piles:
Recycling.
Donating.
Repurposing.
We know you love your Day MyLane purchases just as much as we do. You wear them often, mix and match styles and frown when they get worn, stained or damaged and you’re forced to throw them out. We often strive to separate and recycle our food waste and packaging materials but our discarded clothes are often thrown in the trash without a second thought. Sounds familiar? Maybe it’s time you considered textile recycling.
According to the Secondary Material and Recycled Textiles (SMART) Association, 85% of textiles end up in a landfill although 90% of them can be reused and recycled. As a result of these overflowing landfills and the increase in environmental awareness, textile recycling is a fitting alternative.
Here are a few options:
Recycling
There are organizations that recycle your clothing so the materials can be reused or repurposed. Stop saving those items that you haven’t worn in ages or those you’ve clung to over the years for when you lose weight. Use the following resources to find locations near you that accept and recycle textiles:
American Textile Recycling Service
Donating
Do you have a sibling, niece or nephew that’s been eyeing one of your Day My Lane pieces and you’ve outgrown it or haven't used it in a while? Consider giving it to them. Furthermore, if you have items in your closet for months with the price tag and clothes in good condition that you know you won’t wear again, donate those. Find charities, churches and organizations in your community that accept donations and arrange to have them dropped off.
Composting
Many people aren’t aware that worn clothing can be added to your compost so now you know. As an alternative to recycling and for clothes that are too worn to be donated or repurposed, composting is your best bet. Only use natural fibers such as pure wool, cotton, silk, or linen as synthetic materials won’t break down. You can therefore use our cotton shirts, cut them in small pieces (yes, you must) and add to your compost heap. It’s that simple.
Repurposing
Before discarding your stained or torn clothing, consider repurposing it. This is the ideal choice for pieces that aren’t ready for recycling or can’t be used when composting. The best part is you won’t have to part with them just yet.
Here are our ideas for repurposing some of your favorite Day My Lane items:
Our cotton t-shirts are ideal for giving your hair the TLC it deserves. Drying wet hair with a cotton t-shirt instead of a cotton towel is better for your hair because it is absorbent and the smoothness of the material helps prevent frizz and knots.
Is the bottom half of your t-shirt dress ripped or stained? Transform it into a t-shirt that you can tuck in or tie in a knot for that extra flair.
Our sweatshirts are comfortable and I bet you would be amazed at the simple details that make a big difference. Repurpose and give an old piece a new lease on life by with some edge by adding metal grommets.
Scarves can pull easily or tear if you’re not careful. Don’t worry, you can always use it as a headband accessory. The best part is our scarves come in a vibrant assortment of bold and fabulous designs. Our headwraps are made of a smooth fabric that prevents breakage and is safe for your edges.
Have fun with it and we hope these tips help you get the most bang for your buck for your pieces, be it recycling or repurposing your pieces.
Get started today!
