Clearing out your wardrobe for summer and got some items to throw out? Perhaps your favourite jeans have a broken zip, a blouse no longer fits well or that colour was so last year.

Before you put clothes in the bin, consider the options to repair, resell, upcycle and even donate your clothes, and find out where you can do this in the Grand Duchy.

On average, residents of Luxembourg jettison more than five kilos of textiles per year per person, stuffing much of it into the general waste bin.

It’s not all bad news and wagging fingers. We are recycling more in Luxembourg – some 5,181 tonnes of textiles in 2023.

So what can you do with your old clothes?Turn them into cash

If you’ve got something with a designer label from Louboutin to Gucci, Nike or Levi’s, you could make money reselling items to local second-hand shops or online via websites like Vinted.

Before you do so, make sure items are in pristine condition, which may involve dry cleaning or washing them.

Shops such as Royal Second Hand, First and Second Hand Concept Store and the relatively new Celana boutique may take your designer clobber and give you a cut of the sale price. Whilst others, like Outflipp in Differdange, will give those who donate clothes a 10% money off voucher for future purchases.

You can check out our list of second-hand shops here.

Repair, pimp or upcycle

If you don’t really want to throw an item out but it needs a new zip or has a missing button or a small hole, you can take it to a repair café or to the Letz Refashion store in the city, which also has a workshop area where professional tailors can help you to repair your item.

Also read:Don’t ditch it – take it to a repair cafe

Alternatively, they can also help you ‘pimp’ or upcycle your clothes so you can make a tote bag or a cushion cover from an old jacket. They also hold swap parties.

Take a look at the article below which features videos on how to turn jeans into shorts and a t-shirt into a crop top with very little stitching. Perfect for summer.

Also read:Change jeans into shorts and a t-shirt into a crop top

Re-use

If items are not worth selling or donating, how about finding a new life for them. T-shirts can become dusters or dish rags and old bed sheets can be used as dust or paint sheets when you’re redecorating.

Families can make a tepee for the kids to play in or teach them to sew soft toys or bookmarks using the scraps. You can buy buttons and coloured thread at Action.

Donate to charity

Only donate clothes to charity if they are in good condition, and always wash items first. No one can use a shirt that has holes, is torn or has oil or paint stains. If you put unwearable items into a charity bag, the charities have to pay to throw them away.

There are several charities that collect clothing donations, or provide kerbside pickups.

Help women who need professional clothing to start jobs or attend a job interview by donating your old work suits © Photo credit: Shutterstock

Dress for Success collects professional wear such as suits, shirts or shoes to help women return to the workplace and make a good first impression at a job interview. Items must be less than five years old but can include professional separates such as slacks, skirts, blouses, dresses, blazers and jackets. The non-profit also needs jewellery and scarves, work appropriate shoes and handbags or briefcases.

Centre de Collecte et de Tri
A partner of the National Reception Office, it collects clothing most urgently needed by asylum seekers, refugees, migrants, homeless people and those in need. You can take items directly to the centre in Livange at 18 Rue Geespelt between 08.00 and 12.00 or 13.00 to 16.30 from Monday to Friday.

Alternatively the organization has 20 collection points at Bertrange, Differdange, Diekirch, Echternach, Esch-sur-Alzette, Ettelbruck, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg City, Marienthal, Mersch, Redange, Remich, Steinfort, and Wiltz.

Kleederstuff
Clothes donated here are either distributed to socially disadvantaged people or sold in charity shops. Items are also provided to help individuals integrate back into the workplace or to appear in court in appropriate dress. You can make donations of clothing at 7 Rue de la Fonderie in Hollerich, and at 32 Grand Rue in Esch-sur-Alzette.

Red Cros ‘Vestiares’
The Red Cross mostly need warm jackets, jumpers, t-shirts, jeans, trainers and other shoes for men (in small and medium sizes) and for children and teenagers. They can also take suitcases, backpacks, and bed or bath linen. Items must be clean and not damaged, and anything surplus but in good condition is sold at their Vintage Mo(o)d store.

If you have second-hand children’s or baby’s clothes, consider donating them to Kleiderboerse and HMC Ligue.

Recycling via fashion stores

Fast fashion stores have quickly jumped on the recycling bandwagon and there has been some criticism as to what happens to items recycled with them. However, this option is better than putting unwanted clothes in your general waste.

Items should be clean and in a good condition and can be donated to H&M, C&A and Zara, all of which have containers at their stores. Donations must be inside a properly sealed package.

H&M will give you a discount on future purchases, and reusable items are marketed as second-hand, whilst ones that are not, are upcycled or shredded for use in insulation materials.

C&A works with the Red Cross, Oxfam International, the Salvation Army and local charities to distribute any used clothing you want to recycle with them.

At Zara you can also donate to the pre-owned online section, where a courier will collect your garments within 48 hours for a cost of €1.95. Items are used to provide support for non-profit organisations with which the company works.

Textile recycle bins

If all else fails you can keep clothes for regular kerbside second-hand textile collections (you will get a bag from your municipality and a date on which to leave it outside your property).

Most communes and supermarkets have textile recycling bins © Photo credit: LW Archive

You can also visit one of 555 collection points in Luxembourg, which are run by two associations Aide aux Enfants Handicapés du Grand Duché Asbl and Kolping Luxembourg Asbl. Items are then redistributed or recycled.

You’ll find them in parking lots, next to supermarkets and at recycling centres. Most communes now have outdoor bins for clothing recycling but if they are full, don’t leave empty bags next to them. Instead look for another textile recycling bin or take them home and try to deposit them another time.

What can you deposit in textile banks?

But not

All items must be placed in plastic bags.

You can find more information on clothing recycling with the Ville de Luxembourg here, and a list of recycling containers in the city here. For those outside the capital, check your commune website for more information.