If you've ever stood over a donation bag wondering whether to include that stained t-shirt or the jeans with a blown-out knee, you're not alone. The honest answer most donation centers won't tell you: they don't want those items, and donating them actually creates extra work and cost for the organizations you're trying to help.
But that doesn't mean those clothes should go in the trash. In fact, damaged textiles have real value — they just need to go to a different destination than your typical donation bin.
Donating stained, ripped, or wet clothing to thrift stores forces them to spend resources sorting and disposing of items they can't sell. In 2020 alone, Goodwill locations in Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire discarded 13 million pounds of donated clothing they couldn't resell. Damaged items donated in good faith become someone else's disposal problem.
What Damaged Clothes Can Actually Become
Here's what most people don't realize: worn-out textiles are a raw material, not waste. The textile recycling industry processes millions of tons of damaged clothing every year and turns it into genuinely useful products.
of all donated clothing gets recycled into rags, insulation, or new fiber — but only when it reaches the right processing facility, not when it's dumped at a standard thrift store.
Where to Take Stained or Torn Clothes
Here are the best options, organized by what's most accessible and easiest to use.
H&M stores across the US have clothing recycling bins that accept any brand, any condition. Stained, torn, worn — all accepted. H&M partners with textile recycling organizations to process the collected material into rags, insulation, and new fiber. You can even get a discount voucher toward a future purchase when you drop off a bag.
How to use: Bag up your damaged clothing and drop it at the bin near the entrance of any H&M store. No sorting required on your end.
This program by Cotton Incorporated takes old denim — any condition, any brand — and processes it into UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation used in home construction. A pair of jeans that's too worn to wear becomes insulation in someone's wall. The program has recycled millions of pairs of jeans to date.
How to use: Find a drop-off location at bluejeansgogreen.org or mail your denim directly to the processing facility. Accepts jeans, denim jackets, shorts — all denim items.
Everywhere Apparel accepts clothing from any brand in any condition via a mail-in program. Items are processed and turned into new recycled cotton apparel, upholstery filling, or insulation. They provide a $5 credit toward their sustainable clothing line when you send in your textiles — a nice way to close the loop.
How to use: Visit everywhereapparel.com to print a prepaid shipping label. Fill a bag with damaged textiles and drop it at any UPS location.
TerraCycle offers a prepaid clothing and shoes Zero Waste Box. You purchase the box, fill it with clothing in any condition (including damaged, stained, or unwearable), and ship it back. TerraCycle processes the material into raw materials for manufacturing. This option costs money upfront but guarantees zero landfill outcome.
How to use: Order a Zero Waste Box at terracycle.com. Fill with up to 20 lbs of clothing and shoes. Ship back with the included prepaid label.
Many cities have dedicated textile recycling facilities or drop-off bins operated by local organizations. These processors accept clothing in all conditions and sort it by material for the appropriate recycling stream. American Eagle Outfitters, for example, has in-store recycling bins at many locations similar to H&M.
How to find: Use Earth911's recycling locator at earth911.com — search "clothing" and enter your ZIP code to find the nearest textile recycler. Also check our national textile recycling guide.
What About Very Small Scraps and Fabric Pieces?
Fabric scraps, old rags, and very small pieces of clothing also have options beyond the trash.
Local animal shelters often accept clean fabric scraps and old towels or blankets for animal bedding. Call ahead to confirm what they need.
Community textile drives sometimes specifically accept scraps for quilting, upcycling projects, or art programs. Check local Facebook groups, mutual aid networks, or community boards.
Upcycling and repair — If you're handy, stained clothes can be over-dyed, patched creatively, or repurposed into cleaning rags, tote bags, or other household items before they reach any recycling stream.
A Simple Decision Guide
🌿 What to Do Based on Damage Type
The Main Thing to Remember
The rule is simple: if you wouldn't wear it, don't donate it to a thrift store. Those organizations aren't equipped to process damaged textiles — they'll end up disposing of them anyway, at their expense.
Instead, route damaged clothes to the programs built specifically to handle them. It takes no more effort than a standard donation — just a slightly different destination. Your stained t-shirt genuinely can become insulation in someone's home. That's a better ending than a landfill, and it's completely achievable.
Not Sure Where to Send Your Clothes?
Use our free finder tool — enter your clothing condition and ZIP code to get matched to the right options near you.
🌿 Find Options Near Me →