Don't panic!
You'll see, it's very easy. You just need to take your time (and a little space 😉
It all starts with sorting
It's rarely mentioned, but it's YOUR sorting that kick-starts the whole circular economy for clothes, household linen and footwear! It's a vital step in getting things moving (again), so that all items can be put back into useful cycles for everyone — without waste. Thanks to sorting, your used textiles can follow one of four paths:
• Reuse, which changes their function or owner after they've been customised, donated or sold
• Recycling, which involves industrial processing into new products or marketable materials
• Recovery, where they are converted into fuel to generate energy
• Disposal, for items that are in too poor a condition to be reused or recycled In France, these pathways are well established and run smoothly. Once clothes, household linen and footwear are sorted and dropped off at the right place, over 99.5% of them find a second life — with no waste.
• Reuse, which changes their function or owner after they've been customised, donated or sold
• Recycling, which involves industrial processing into new products or marketable materials
• Recovery, where they are converted into fuel to generate energy
• Disposal, for items that are in too poor a condition to be reused or recycled In France, these pathways are well established and run smoothly. Once clothes, household linen and footwear are sorted and dropped off at the right place, over 99.5% of them find a second life — with no waste.
"Wardrobe-sorting figures for 2024 "
74%
of French people sort their clothes at least once a year
43%
of French people drop off textiles and shoes at collection points after sorting
25%
of the clothes in our wardrobes go all year without being worn oncele fois
How do I sort?
First, I take everything out
I take all my clothes and shoes out of the wardrobe and make a big pile. That way I know the total volume and I'm sure I'll check each item carefully.
I divide them into 4 piles
Pile 1: to keep. Here I put all the clothes and shoes I want to keep as they are.
Pile 2: to repair or restyle. This is where I put items that I want to have repaired, redesigned or restyled.
Pile 3: to reuse. This is where I put items I no longer wear that I want to offer to others by giving them away or selling them.
Pile 4: to recycle or upgrade. This is the pile of items I want to get rid of, whether they are in good or bad condition, so I can drop them off at a collection point.
Tidy up!
And yes, once I've done all this sorting, all I have to do is put the clothes I've kept in my wardrobe and prepare bags for my drop-offs at collection points or donations.
Need some inspiration or motivation? This way
What happens to your clothes and shoes?
Adopting the right sorting habits also means asking yourself the right questions. Sorting gives your clothes, shoes and household linen a second life. Do you know what happens to them once they've been dropped off?
