Textile Recycling Guide

This is how you recycle clothes and textiles

Did you know that greenhouse emissions from the textile industry would be reduced by up to 40% if the lifespan of textiles were doubled? You are doing an environmental deed when you buy quality products carefully and keep them for a long time. However, if usable or unusable clothes or textiles have accumulated in your home, you can extend their life cycle by recycling them. Read our best tips for recycling textiles.

Usable textile or disposal textile?

You should start recycling by determining whether it is a usable textile or a disposal textile. Usable textiles refer to clean and intact clothes. Waste textiles, on the other hand, are unusable clothes and home textiles that are tried to be reused as materials through recycling.

Recycling of usable textiles

You should give usable clothes a new life either by caring for them, donating them or selling them. Little-loved clothes can turn out to be your own or someone else's favorite!

1. Well-maintained has a new feel
Are your clothes a bit pilled or wrinkled with use? Before you get rid of the garment, consider whether it could be given a new feel by taking care of it. Clothes maintenance is not only easy and convenient, the serviced garment often feels like new.

Find out about easy-to-use and high-quality clothing care products and tips for using them here.

If you don't feel like taking care of your clothes, you can also maintain, repair and customize your clothes with the help of a repair service. Nanso clothes can be easily repaired through the Menddie repair service platform.

Read more about the collaboration between Nanso and Menddie here.

2. By selling, you give a new life
However, if you decide to put the garment in circulation, selling it is a good option to give the old garment a new life. You can easily sell old clothes at, for example, a flea market or online.

High-quality clothes are also in demand in second hands. You can circulate Nanso's long-lasting clothes easily and effortlessly through Emmy, Finland's largest second-hand brand clothing buying and selling service.

Check out Nanso and Emmy's collaboration here.

3. Donate what is usable
An old garment can become someone else's new treasure also by donating it. Many charities and recycling centers accept clothing donations. Please note that the donated clothes must also be clean, intact and salable, as charities do not have the opportunity to wash and maintain donated clothes. Smelly or bug-infested clothing can also ruin the entire collection batch.

So wash the clothes and make the necessary repairs before donating them. You should always check the instructions for donating clothes on the websites of charities.

Old clothes can be made to look new with the help of clothing maintenance. With Steamery's easy-to-use products, clothes care is quick and comfortable.

Recycling of waste textiles

Clean and dry for collection

Clothes and home textiles that have become unusable can be sorted into disposal textiles free of charge. Waste textiles must be clean and dry in a closed plastic bag when they are brought to the collection container. So please make sure that the textiles are not wet, smelly, dirty or have pests inside, as they easily spoil the entire collection.

Discarded textiles are: unusable, worn out or broken clothes and home textiles
There are NO disposal textiles: moldy, dirty, insect-infested or strongly smelling textiles. There are also no socks, pantyhose, underwear, swimwear, blankets, cushions, pillows, carpets, belts, bags or shoes. These must be sorted into mixed or energy waste.

There is a nationwide collection network for discarded textiles. You can find your nearest disposal textile collection point here.