Where to Recycle Clothes for Money: The 13 Best Clothing Recyclers

Where to Recycle Your Old Clothes For Money

While numerous clothing recyclers are available today, many people don’t realize they can recycle their worn textiles for money. Reselling gently used clothing isn’t your only option. Today, several companies offer cash back to recycle your unwearable textiles. Read on for the best places to recycle your clothes for store credit or money, and why.

Why Should You Recycle Clothes?

Clothing waste is a huge environmental issue. While clothing is not supposed to be thrown in the trash, 92 million tons of textiles end up in landfills annually. It can take years (200+ years even!) for textiles to decompose. Clothing is typically made from synthetic fibers and dyes, releasing environmental toxins, microplastics, greenhouse gas emissions, and polluting waterways while decomposing.

To prevent this, used clothing should always be recycled. Not all recycling programs are created equally, however. Many companies or donation centers ship used textiles to developing countries where they aren’t properly recycled. It’s important to choose recycling partners that offer clear data on how they recycle their clothes.

Where Is the Best Place to Recycle Clothes?

You can visit your local donation center, clothing reseller, or charity to recycle your clothes for free. But many of these programs, particularly charities, are overrun with low-quality donations. They may not have the resources to properly recycle your clothes.

While clothing resellers will buy and sell your gently used clothing, they base their selections on quality and demand. If your clothes are too worn or out of fashion, you won’t be able to resell them. Some resellers will recycle your unwearable items for you, but not all.

If you want to recycle your worn clothing, consider a clothing recycler. Some of the best clothing recycling programs include Retold Recycling, TerraCycle, or local city-wide recycling initiatives. While these options are impactful, they often cost you money or are only available in certain cities.

If you’re hoping to get money for your used clothes, you’re in luck. Many clothing brands now offer take-back programs to implement a more circular business model or to boost sales. They will recycle certain unwearable textiles for you in exchange for store credit or cash.

Where to Recycle Clothes for Money

Read on if you’re wondering where to recycle clothes for store credit or cash. Below, you’ll find the top companies that recycle clothes (even worn underwear!) for money.

Most of these brands upcycle your old textiles into new clothes or industrial textiles, keeping them out of landfills. We include what each company recycles, and what they offer, so it’s easy to choose the best clothing recycler for you.

1. For Days

Recycles: Clothing

For: $30 Credit

For Days is an online marketplace that sells clothing and accessories from various brands, including sustainable ones. They partner with TrashieCash to recycle your used textiles. To recycle, order their $20 take-back bag through their website. Fill it with your used clothes (up to 15 pounds), and send it back with the pre-paid label.

You have two different reward options. You can get a $30 credit to use at select partner brands (Uber, Sephora, etc), or receive 50% off your order from For Days (up to $200 total).

2. Subset

Recycles: Underwear

For: $25 Credit

Subset, formerly Knickey, is a sustainable underwear brand that will recycle your undergarments for free. Through their partnership with Supercircle, you can order a pre-paid take-back bag, fill it with clean, used undergarments, and ship it back. Subset will recycle your used textiles and you’ll get $25 off your next Subset order.

3. Girlfriend Collective

Recycles: Clothing

For: $10 Credit per Piece

Girlfriend Collective is a wonderful sustainable brand that offers an equally wonderful way to recycle your clothes for store credit. They accept as much used clothing (from any brand) that you can fit into their take-back bag. You’ll then receive $10 per item in store credit, and they’ll recycle your clothes, keeping them out of landfills.

4. ThredUp

Recycles: Clothing

For: Cash or Credit

If you have both clothes you want to resell and clothes you need to recycle, consider ThredUp. Order their Clean Out Kit and fill it with up to 30 pounds of clothing. They will then sort through your items and list all eligible clothes for resale. Once those sell, you’ll be paid a percentage of the sale in cash.

ThredUp also recycles any items that aren’t eligible for reselling. While you won’t get money for these items, you will get a $15 store credit for using their Clean Out Kit program. You can use it at select retailers.

5. Madewell

Recycles: Jeans

For: $20 Credit per Piece

If you’re a Madewell fan with old denim lying around, consider their recycling program. You can order a Clean Out Kit or use their pre-paid shipping label. Fill it with used jeans from any brand and ship it back. Madewell will either resell or recycle your denim.

You’ll receive a $20 Madewell coupon per pair of donated jeans. If your denim qualifies for resale, you’ll receive additional store credit. While Madewell only pays you for your denim, you can include any used textiles and they will recycle them for you.

6. Universal Standard

Recycles: Clothing

For: $25 Credit per Piece

Universal Standard offers more store credit than most recycling programs, transforming your used textiles into new ones. You can send in 1-4 clothing items at a time and they’ll provide a $25 coupon per item.

Note that you can only use one coupon per order, and you’ll need to pay for their labeled bag upfront ($4.50).

7. The North Face

Recycles: Used North Face

For: $10 Credit

Consider recycling any used The North Face items with their Take Back program. First, join their free rewards program, XPLR Pass. Then bring your used gear to your local The North Face storefront.

They will either resell or recycle the items for you, and you’ll receive a $10 store credit in exchange.

8. Hanky Panky

Recycles: Undergarments

For: Rewards Points

Join Hanky Panky’s recycling program to recycle your old socks, lingerie, and underwear. They partner with the non-profit Green Tree to turn your old textiles into industrial insulation.

To recycle, log in to your account, request a UPS shipping label from Hanky Panky, and send them a minimum of 4 items. In exchange, you’ll receive 100 reward points, equivalent to $10 off your next order.

9. Blue Jeans Go Green

Recycles: Denim

For: Store Credit

Blue Jeans Go Green partners with nine retailers including Rag & Bone, Madewell, Anthropologie, Muji, Carhartt, and American Eagle. Choose your preferred retailer, drop off your old denim at their storefront, and receive their store credit offer. Blue Jeans Go Green will turn your old denim into useable materials, like industrial insulation.

Most of the retailers they partner with are fast fashion retailers. If you’d prefer to recycle your denim for free, but with no store credit, you can do this directly with Blue Jeans Go Green.

10. Marine Layer

Recycles: All Textiles

For: $40 credit

It’s simple and beneficial to recycle your clothes with Marine Layer. Order a Re-Spun Take Back Bag with a prepaid label for $20. Fill it with any used clothing and send it back. You’ll receive $40 in credit per bag (you can order up to 6 bags annually).

Marine Layer upcycles your old textiles into new clothes, or their recycling partners turn them into useable industrial materials.

11. Eileen Fisher

Recycles: Used Eileen Fisher

For: $5 Credit per Piece

Eileen Fisher’s RENEW program is a great way to recycle clothes for store credit - as long as you regularly shop with them. You can return any old Eileen Fisher piece, in any condition, and receive a $5 store credit per item.

To recycle your clothes, visit a store near you, or ship to their recycling center.

12. Reformation

Recycles: Used Reformation

For: $10 per Piece

Reformation now recycles used Reformation for store credit. Simply request their Payout Kit, fill your prepaid bag with your old but clean Reformation items, and ship it back. They will then recycle all textiles through Supercircle, and you’ll receive $10 in store credit per item.

13. H&M

Recycles: All Textiles

For: Store Credit

H&M is undoubtedly a fast fashion brand, but they offer an easy way to recycle just about any used textile. Simply bring your used clothing or accessories to the register of your nearest H&M, and you’ll receive a gift card to use on store credit. They do not currently publicly post the credit amount.

Since H&M is not a sustainable company, this isn’t an ideal way to recycle your clothes for money, but it’s an option.

About the Author

Alicia Briggs is a writer & editor specializing in slow travel & sustainable living. She has been a full-time traveler since 2018 and runs her own blog, Learning the Local Way, where she covers responsible travel tips and guides.