6 ways to get rid of unwanted clothes in your wardrobe responsibly

Instead of contributing to textile waste, do some good with them. As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure – someone might take a liking to your unwanted floral blouse. There are several organisations in Singapore that accept used clothing items. The Salvation Army, which runs several thrift stores, is the most popular place to donate clothes to.



Just deposit your items at one of their donation-in-kind booths located island-wide. You can also consider other organisations like Swapaholic Marketplace where you can swap, sell or buy pre-loved pieces.

Donate to a fashion brand

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Did you know you can give away your clothes to H&M? The fast-fashion brand has a garment collection programme in a bid to promote fashion sustainability and reduce the impact on the environment.

As part of their initiative, your donated old clothes that are still wearable will be marketed as second-hand clothing, while those that can’t be sold will either be reprocessed into other products (such as cleaning cloths) or recycled for their materials.

The brand accepts all kinds of textiles from any brand and of any condition. Simply drop them off at the nearest H&M outlet and you’ll receive a thank-you voucher that you can use on your next purchase.

Selling your stuff online has become so much more convenient and easy over the years. Carousell is your best bet when it comes to selling pre-loved clothing. All you have to do is snap a few photos of your item, type a short description of it on the app, and wait for queries and offers to come in.

After negotiating and settling details, all you need to do is meet up with the buyer or make arrangements to mail it to them. Instagram is another popular platform – just create an account, upload pictures of your clothes with descriptions and hashtags, and that’s it.

Here’s a tip if you want to get more offers: Visuals are very important! Make sure the lighting for your shot is good, and perfect your flat lay skills so your items look more appealing and professional.

If you have designer and contemporary clothing items, try designer resale platforms such as The Fifth Collection and Vestiare. In fact, if you book a collection with The Fifth Collection, they’ll actually collect your items, photograph them for you and list them on the site. They will take 30% of the listed price, but at least the hard work is done for you!

The flea culture in Singapore is still vibrant even with the rise of online shopping. After all, fleas are where people can indulge in good bargains and impulse purchases. If you’re looking to make all your bags of barang barang disappear all at once, this is the best place you can make that happen.

The Luggage Market, for example, is one of the biggest flea markets in town and is held every Sunday. The weekly market has a very high footfall so rest assured that most of your items will be taken off your hands. However, it is important to note that you should book your slot in advance, as spots tend to fill up quickly.

Alternatively, you can also try Refash – an online community that allows you to sell your pre-loved clothes and buy secondhand pieces from ladies with similar styles. It’s like a flea market, only they do the selling for you. Just pack your clothes, drop them off and watch the bucks roll in.

Upcycle your clothes

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If you’re into DIY crafts, breathe new life into your old apparel by repurposing them. You can turn an oversized work blouse into a skirt or into an off-shoulder top – or even both! Or how about turning that too-long skirt into a tube dress? Or that tank top into a bag?

Even if you’re not that adept when it comes to making things yourself, there are tons of free YouTube videos to guide you through the process to make it less daunting.

Recycling clothes is a sustainable and eco-conscious practice that contributes significantly to reducing environmental impact. By repurposing and reusing garments, we not only extend the lifecycle of clothing items but also decrease the demand for new production, ultimately minimising the environmental strain caused by the fashion industry.

If you’re clearing out your wardrobe, consider recycling your unwanted clothes by donating them to one of Cloop’s bins. Located at various locations islandwide, you can donate your clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, hats, household items like toys, plushies and pillows, as well as sports equipment. What’s great about this initiative is that the donated clothes will go straight to Cloop’s ISO-accredited recycling partner’s factory in Malaysia where they will be resold, reused and recycled.

Check out the list of locations here