Most of us are guilty of hoarding a few too many items in our wardrobes. Often, clothing will hang around for years before we finally get rid of it- maybe because it cost a lot when new, you’re saving it for that fancy dress party, or maybe you’re keeping it for sentiment. Everyone has their own reasons for why they struggle to close the wardrobe door, but if you’re due a clear out, it might be time to say goodbye to your old clothes and make money instead. 

Brits currently send around 350 tonnes of clothing to landfill every year, a figure which is increasing every year with the ongoing popularity of fast fashion. So as well as giving your old clothing a new lease of life, you can also be happy in the knowledge that you are doing your bit for the environment- whilst still making some cash. Here are some of the best ways that your old clothes can make you money.

Take your old clothes to a retailer

H&M

H&M have been leading the way with rewarding their customers for recycling their old clothes. In most H&M stores worldwide you will find a drop off point where you can leave a bag of your old clothes in exchange for a £5 voucher giving you £5 off when you next spend £30 or more. So far, H&M have collected more than 17,771 tonnes of textiles from this scheme which is great news for the environment. The clothing that you drop off can be from any brand, in any condition. Other brands under the H&M Group such as & Other Stories and Monki also support this initiative.

M&S

Marks and Spencer partnered with Oxfam for their Shwopping campaign. If you donate a pre-loved item of labelled M&S clothing or soft furnishings into an Oxfam store, they will give you a £5 M&S voucher to spend when you spend £35 or more. Donated items are either resold, reused or recycled. This partnership began 10 years ago in 2008, and since then over 28 million garments have been donated.

Levi’s

If you donate a bag of clean, dry clothing or shoes in a Levi’s store, they will give you a 10% off voucher for your next purchase with them.

Download the reGAIN app

The reGAIN app facilitates the genius idea of sending your unwanted clothes around the country via an app in exchange for vouchers. Simply put your pre-loved clothing in a box, and send it off to one of 20,000 drop off locations throughout the UK. You then receive discount vouchers for a number of different brands such as New Balance, SuperDry, Asics, Nails Inc. and many, many more.  

Sell on apps

eBay

eBay is the king of online marketplaces, and with access to a huge amount of potential customers, eBay is a safe option to go with when selling your old clothes online. There is a little more effort involved here to take photos, list the items and post them to the buyer yourself- but the money you will make from your old clothes here is likely to be higher. Check out the completed listings using the app to see how much similar items to yours have sold for recently.

Depop

Depop is the perfect selling platform if you are selling vintage sportswear, nearly new items, and generally clothing that is considered a little more ‘trendy’ and for a younger demographic. This is the perfect app to use for that nearly new Topshop dress, anything still being sold in shops, or sought after trend pieces.  

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Vinted

Vinted is another selling app for unwanted clothes, and is an especially good place to sell any unloved vintage clothes. Well-made vintage items in quality fabrics have lasted a few decades and will definitely have another few years use ahead of them once you have fallen out of love with them. Selling on Vinted is completely free, with buyers paying a service charge and a small fixed fee.