How to sustainably clear out your children's wardrobe

Ever wondered how to get rid of your children’s clothes in a way that is more sustainable?

Our children grow up so fast and that often means buying them new clothes.

What fit them last month may not fit them this month. They need updated seasonal wardrobes, not to keep up with the trends but to fit their growing bodies.

But what do we do with all the old clothes? We don't want them to go to waste or end up in landfills, so we give them to a charity shop, right? However, a charity shop isn't always the best sustainable option.

Read on to see why a charity shop may not be the best option and find out alternatives for decluttering your children’s wardrobes.

Facts about fast fashion

· Did you know that fashion is the 2nd biggest polluter behind the oil industry and equates to 10% of the world’s total greenhouse emissions?

· The term ‘fast fashion’ describes a highly profitable but often exploitive business model in which fashions that replicate catwalk trends and high fashion designs are produced at high speed for a low cost. There are over 50 fast fashion brands within the UK alone, churning out new designs every week, manufacturing them at a speed to meet consumer demand.

· According to ecofriendlyhabits.com the world clothing and textile industry has reached over $2,560 trillion. With the children's wear market being over $186 billion.

· It is also estimated that consumers in the UK have £30 billion worth of unworn clothes sitting in their wardrobes.

Why the charity shop isn’t always the answer

You look at your children’s overflowing wardrobe of outgrown, worn-out clothing and decide that it's time to do a purge. Clearing out anything they no longer wear.

You'll probably assume that donating clothes is a fast and sustainable option to take. You bag up the unwanted clothes and find your nearest charity bin or shop and away the clothes go to someone more in need.

However, your generous donation may be doing more harm than good. Charity shops often have problems with receiving donations that are soiled, torn, or unsuitable to sell. Meaning they have to spend money on sorting and disposing of them. This leads to the clothes ending up in landfills or being sent to countries such as Ghana and piled high along the banks of their water’s edges.

Other alternatives

Now, that’s not to say that you should never use a charity bin or shop again. But there are alternatives you can use instead.

· Repair

Okay, so not everyone is a whizz with a needle and thread. But why throw away a perfectly good pair of trousers or a top that’s in good condition because it has a small tear or hole? If you can’t sew, maybe ask a friend or a family member if they’d be willing to help.

· Upcycle

Get a little creative and even get the kids involved. Take your unwanted/unwearable garments and repurpose them into something else. Maybe that old t-shirt could become a cushion cover or an outfit for your child’s doll or teddy bear.

· Friends and Family

Rehome your unwanted garments and give them to friends and family members. A sustainable and easy way to clear out your children’s wardrobes.

· Join the preloved revolution

Send clothes or buy them from a preloved retailer and join the preloved revolution. What is preloved fashion? It’s simply buying or selling items that you or someone else has owned or loved before.

According to SCAP (Sustainable Clothing Action Plan) “some textile industry observers have predicted that, in the next ten years, fashion resale will become bigger than fashion retail.” Second Snuggle is a preloved children’s and maternity clothing retailer. We keep those beautiful clothes that your children can no longer wear in circulation. With the bonus of participating families getting some money back at the same time.

How Second Snuggles works

We take care of the selling for you. So you have a super easy and sustainable way to clear out the items you are no longer using.

We take maternity wear and children’s clothing from 0 to 12 years. All items must be freshly washed, folded neatly and in excellent condition. Please keep in mind items must meet conditions as set out here.

All you need to do is package your items up and send/drop them off to us and we care of the rest.

Click here for further details and to see our terms and conditions.

So there you have it, how to sustainably clear out your child's wardrobe.

You’re ready to go.

Want to know more tips about parenting and sustainability? Follow us on Instagram @second.snuggle.

Tag us in your pics and share your preloved revolution journey.