It's wonderful to be able to help the environment in more ways than one. Recycling and upcycling clothes are both taking the world by storm at the moment as ways to help the environment, but what are the main differences between recycling and upcycling clothes?
In this article, we go over everything you need to know about recycling and upcycling clothes in order to help you be a little more sustainable every day.
So, what’s the difference between recycled clothes and upcycled clothes? Recycled clothes are broken down into materials that can be reused for a variety of purposes. Upcycling clothes, on the other hand, is the process of transforming an old garment into something new.
Read on to learn more about recycling clothes and upcycling clothes.
What is the Difference Between Recycled Clothes and Upcycled Clothes?
Upcycling and recycling both have their advantages, and both are great eco-friendly ways to support the environment.
That said, the main difference between recycled and upcycled clothes is that when clothes are recycled, they are broken down into materials that can be reused for a variety of purposes. Upcycling clothes, on the other hand, is the process of transforming an old garment into something new.
Other differences include being better for the environment. If we were to compare the two, upcycling clothes is considered to be the better out of the two. This is due to upcycle apparel regenerating value and fueling the green revolution in the textile industry.
Money is another difference. Each year, £140 million pounds worth of clothing are disposed of and destroyed in the recycling process. We could revalue clothes, avoid wasting money, and save 3 billion pounds each year if we changed our habits and upcycled.
In this post, we look at both recycling and upcycling clothing to compare the many approaches to going green with clothing.
Recycled Clothes
Recycling clothing is preferable to throwing away unwanted clothes. We've outlined the two best ways to recycle garments and avoid the bin in the section below.
Clothing Donations
Clothing donations are one way to recycle and a wonderful way to give back. There are numerous registered organisations that will accept your unwanted clothes and donate the proceeds to the charity of your choosing such as the Salvation Army. What is no longer valuable to you may be valuable to someone else. Just make sure that it’s in good, sellable condition and is clean when you donate it.
Recycle Material
Another approach to recycling clothing is to send your garments to be recycled and destroyed so that the materials can be reused. This form of clothing recycling is not as efficient or cost-effective, but it is the next best alternative for damaged or stained items that are frequently rejected by charities. Upcycled Clothes Upcycling clothes is a popular alternative if your clothes are still in decent shape but have become dull and lackluster. This is where upcycling might come in handy and completely revolutionise your outfit.
Upcycled Clothes
Upcycling clothes is a popular alternative if your clothes are still in decent shape but have become dull and lackluster. This is where upcycling might come in handy and completely revolutionise your outfit.
Anyone can upcycle; no special skills are required; just a little imagination. It is entirely up to you how you upcycle, whether you want to go at a top with scissors, use tye dye on a hoodie, or add a decorative print. If you like a bit of crafting, you could also add some customer embroidery.
The next best part about upcycling is that it is not restricted to clothing; you can apply similar techniques to accessories or underwear too.
At Abidashery, we upcycle clothes with tye-dye and can completely customise the design to your specifications, allowing you to support eco-friendly fashion even if your existing clothes aren't ready to be upcycled.
How to Upcycle Clothes
As previously stated, there are several methods for upcycling your clothes. We'll go over each one in more detail so you can support the green movement while also looking as fashionable as possible heading into 2022.
Tye Dye
By adding a touch of colour to your dull-looking garments you can really transform your wardrobe. There are numerous techniques for tie-dying, like utilising bleach or coloured dye to create a rainbow design. The secret is to let your mind go wild and create something truly unique to you.
Cut It
If you're going to upcycle your garments by cutting them, it's usually a good idea to sketch out your design first before diving in with the scissors. That being said, you can really make something worth wearing with the scissors; transform a plain black top into the crop top of your dreams.
Add a Print
If you add a print to your garments, you can make it as busy as you like by using different designs related to a theme, or you can just add one print to make it a timeless classic. It's a good idea to browse around for some ideas and see what you can come up with first, though, to end up with an item that you reach for time and time again.
Tie-Dye Clothing at Abidashery
Abisashery is thrilled to provide a whole range of upcycled clothes for women that have been tye-dyed and transformed into your dream 2022 wardrobe. We offer a choice of hoodies from our new organic collection plus socks and bags for you to choose from.
Click here to view the whole collection!