From our two previous parts, you now know how to buy and care for your clothes fairly and in an ecologically sustainable way, but what if you don't wear something anymore? Let's move on to the last part of our series of articles: How and where do I give away my "old" clothes consciously and responsibly?

We think it's okay to clean out your closet every now and then. For example, a while ago we organized a clothing swap in our shop. There was a lot of swapping and many items found a new home. A clothing swap like this is a great opportunity to get rid of old clothes and buy new ones without having to feel guilty.
However, to avoid being left with the leftovers like we did at our last clothes swap, you need a good plan B. We had the idea of ​​putting a clothes rack in front of our shop and giving away all the leftover pieces. Within a day, the whole rack was cleared out, lots of people were happy with their new clothes and we found a good way to pass on clothes. The important thing is that nobody likes a dirty junk box - but if it looks nice, there's bound to be a happy buyer. And if not, or if it's raining, for example, then take your things back inside, because of course we don't want to litter the streets!
But what if you've just cleared out your stuff and there's no flea market or clothing swap coming up? Or what do you do with the things you didn't get rid of there? (Unfortunately, we can't always put a clothes rack in front of our store 🙂 ).
There are other ways to do this, and the first thing that often comes to mind are used clothing containers such as those run by the Red Cross, but unfortunately these are only partially sustainable. Only around 10% of the clothing collected in the containers actually ends up in clothing banks and is distributed to those in need. The rest is usually shipped to developing countries around the world, where it is then shredded (you may remember our Facebook post about the documentary "Unravel") or sold cheaply locally, thus destroying local markets.

Luckily, there are many committed people with innovative ideas and social projects who distribute and reuse our clothes or leftover materials here in Germany. A good example of this is the "Berlin City Mission" with its CLOTHING CHAMBER . Here, they first ensure that the donations are distributed to those in need in the area. What is left over goes to their local shops and is then sold cheaply, with the proceeds going to homeless people and refugees. If there is still anything left over, it is made into new bags in their own upcycling brand "WATER TO WINE". There are similar initiatives in many places in Germany - find out more about your city! For more ways to donate clothing, take a look at THIS ARTICLE from UTOPIA.
It is important to note that whether it is a clothing bank or a social department store, everyone is happy to receive a call asking what is really needed at the moment and that you wash your clothes and hand them in properly. Otherwise, it is up to the volunteers to fight their way through and find storage space.
We hope we have given you some new ideas, suggestions and information that you can imagine implementing in the future. Because again, every little bit helps!