What to do with old clothes instead of a container

Czechs throw away tons of clothes every year. Some goes into charity containers, some goes directly into the waste. The reality is less rosy than the containers suggest: much of the donated clothing from developed countries ends up in oversaturated markets in Africa or Asia, or in landfills. Five options make sense more often than a container.

1. Selling on Vinted or Bazosi Clothes in good condition have value even if you can't see them. Photography, description, price: an hour of work that can bring hundreds of crowns and give the piece a new home with a person who really wants it. Funky vintage pieces go fast on Vinted.

2. Swap with friends or at a swap event Swapping clothes is the most ecological form of recycling, no logistics, no mediation. Swap events are regularly held in Prague, follow Meetup or Instagram for an overview. You bring what you don't wear, you take what you like.

3. Tailoring and Alteration A shirt that is too big can be shaped. Jeans that are too long will be shortened. The old jacket is transformed into a shorter version. A tailor in Prague will save a piece that you would otherwise throw away for a reasonable price, and the result will be tailored exactly for you.

4. Donating wisely If you do donate, donate well: clean clothes in good condition to the right place. Refugee centers, shelters, local charity, that's where donating makes sense. Before you throw something in a dumpster on the street, find out where the item actually goes.

5. Certified textile recycling Clothing in bad condition, which no one wears, does not belong in the "clothing" container (it goes there and cannot be recycled), it belongs to textile recycling. In Prague, there are collection points for Textil Recycling, H&M or Zara (they have their own programs). Old clothes become rags, insulation or new fiber.