The reason it's so important to upcycle versus recycle? "Clothing needs to be sorted into groups of similar material content if they're to be recycled," says Tiffany Threadgould, head of design at Terracycle, noting that it can be complicated to figure out how to sort your textiles to ensure they end up in the right place. "While many T-shirts are 100 percent cotton there are definitely cotton-poly and 100 percent poly blends, which would mess up a recycling system." So even if your T-shirts make it into the recycling bin instead of the plain old trash, there's no guarantee that they're actually going to be recycled, which is why it's more sustainable to find a new life for them to live.
Recycling is important, but falls to third place on the list of 'reduce, reuse, recycle' because it's more labor intensive," says Threadgould. "Focusing first on the reduce and reuse is where you can make the most impact. And throwing items away should always be reserved as a last resort, because that depletes precious resources."
Sure, you can turn your old T-shirts into dish rags, but isn't it much more fun to put your crafting pants on and transform them into something Pinterest-worthy that you can keep forever? "In general, clothing has sentimental value that can play in to the reuse value of the shirt," says Threadgould. "Perhaps you've outgrown them or they're stained or faded. With a few cuts and crafty twists, you can reuse that shirt."
Case in point: Generation T T-shirt expert Megan Nicolay has written two books with more than a hundred different suggestions of what to do with old T-shirts. We whittled the list down to 15 things you can do with old T-shirts that will keep them out of the recycling bin for yet another year. Get those crafting scissors ready!
1. Turn them into baskets
Woven baskets will run you some big bucks online, but you can make some of your own with some T-shirt fabric and a steady hand. This is more of a 200-level project, but you can learn how to DIY it here.
2. Give them to your dog
When you're done with your tees, tie them up and give them to your pup for a toy.
