apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Don't know about actual recycling of textiles, but animal shelters (Humane Society, etc.) are always in need of old towels for bedding.

how about just using the socks/towels as dust rags and for mopping? Pretty greeen, IMO.

These red clothing bins have popped up recently in Brooklyn and they recycle old clothes and linens. More info on http://www.usagain2.com/. Maybe they're in your neighborhood too? Hope it helps.

I admire your effort to be green... but it just got me thinking:
Cotton and other fabrics are likely biodegradable (natural fibers)

Funny that we feel bad throwing that out... but think of all the water bottles, icecream cups, packaging and other little things we toss everyday that aren't going to decompose.

My cafeteria at work puts everything on styrofoam plates... even though they have real plates available! Drives me nuts!

Actually, Goodwill, the Salv Army et al CAN use clean-yet-unwearable clothing. The charities bundle those items and then sell them by weight to fabric recylcing outfits. (Though I do wonder what that fabric processing involves ... presumably at that point there's no escaping some un-green chemicals or energy use.)

I use old mismatched socks, really ratty t-shirts and other assorted unwearables as rags. If you feel weird about having the rag still look very sock-like, just cut it up into one or two squares. I have a butcherblock table, and they're great for when I oil/wax the table down. Also, obviously, for general cleaning.

I'm with sammie. We cut the toes off our old socks and use them for dustcloths or rags. Cutting the toes off makes sorting easier.

My mom will bring old towels to her local animal shelter where they use them for bedding for the cats and dogs.

There was a very interesting article in the Seattle Times a few weeks ago that tracked clothing donations to Salvation Army, and it talked a bit about what happens to stuff that isn't suitable to be sold at the stores. Click on my name for a link to the story.

the new york times wrote about this in the magazine several years ago. the writer traced a t shirt with a small stain from the upper east side to a man in africa who ended up with it.

Actually, all you have to do is stick your hand in the sock and use it for dusting!

Develop a line of designer sock monkeys for upscale baby boutiques.

Use the socks for toilet paper.

Funny aboout this... worn out socks are about the only thing I *don't* feel bad about throwing out.

But I second the notion for giving them one last hurrah as dusters.

Patagonia does a clothing recycling program that you can send your old stuff to--click my name. V. green, v. cool.

Aside from as dusters around the house, I leave a couple in the car glove box for cleaning the side view mirrors, esp in winter months when it gets really muddy.

I guarantee that your local bike shop would appreciate any clean cotton t-shirts that you are done with.

There was also a book on the subject of a t-shirt followed from Wallmart to Aftica called "Travels of My Florida Parrot T-Shirt"
here's the link to the NYTimes review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/21/business/yourmoney/21shelf.html?ei=5088&en=c67a9b6f553eec47&ex=1282276800&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print
-AR
robbinsbecher.com

In addition to the list of excellent suggestions above, you might try craigslist or freecycle. I have posted some very odd clothing items which have found grateful users. An example: I had a whole mess of threadbare t-shirts, and a woman who worked at one of the police stables took them to use for polishing the horses' tack. I had a wool suit that had worn out to a point where donating it to charity would have been, well, insulting. A person who uses the material for upholstering projects took it off my hands. One man's trash...