“I need to get rid of my old clothes!”
A common complaint to hear echoing down the hallways of University, and more so in the ever-changing, densely packed, climatically diverse (and not to mention, extremely fashion-conscious) city of Tokyo, where everyone always looks their best. Unfortunately, you’re competing with thousands if not millions of other residents who wear out their garments just as quickly or need to update their wardrobe to accommodate a number of complex environmental, social and personal demands (or indulgences).
As a new foreign student, navigating store notices or websites in Japanese to understand the possibilities of selling or donating your old clothes can be a daunting task. At the end of the day, it can push even the most easy-going of fashion lovers to a desperate place where they decide to bag their clothes and leave it out on the pavement (oh horror of horrors!) so the neighborhood garbage truck can lug it away for incineration. Of course, there are some things that are best left to the fire, like the long-suffering socks, underwear, bedsheets and towels that have given up their lives in your service, but it’s a shame to destroy slightly shrunken sweaters, iron-burned silk shirts, slightly worn dresses, or trousers with missing buttons, just because there seem to be no other options for disposal.
In response to the frightening number of individuals who consider burning their garments everyday, we’ve compiled a small guide to help you fight today’s materialistic consumer culture by helping you explore various options to sell and/or donate your old clothes.
The rule to giving back is simple: If you wouldn’t want to receive it from a customer, don’t bring it in. Without further ado, here we go:
1. H&M
Via H&M
My personal recommendation for getting rid of those old and damaged clothes you can no longer hope of selling is through H&M’s ‘Bring it On’ initiative. The process is simple: Fill up a bag of the things you want to get rid away (a maximum of two per day) and head to your local store. The clothes can be from anywhere and not only H&M’s products. In Tokyo, for each bag brought in, you get a coupon for 500 JPY off the next time you pay over 3000 JPY while shopping. Learn more here!
2. UNIQLO
Though they only accept their own products and garments and do not give out discounts like H&M, Uniqlo stores all over Tokyo have bins or delivery boxes where visitors can deposit their old clothes, which are then assessed and sorted out for either re-use or recycling. If you’re interested, take a look here!
3. Second-hand Clothing and Thrift Stores
Found all over Tokyo’s wards and neighborhoods, your local thrift store might be willing to appraise your collection, select pieces that are still in pristine condition and offer you a small price in return. However, this isn’t a very reliable method as different thrift stores have varying codes and conditions under which they accept second-hand clothing, and a few whimsical fashion rules as well. It’s best to check with your local store owner about their submission policies before hauling an entire walk-in closet’s worth of goods and expecting to go home a millionaire.
Via matcha-jp.com
4. Mottainai Japan (Facebook)
Roughly translated as “Not to Waste”, this is a Facebook community where members living in Tokyo can come together to post information about used clothes and other items that they wish to give away to free to users who might be interested in picking them up, all with the aim of of avoiding unnecessary waste or incurring unreasonable disposal charges. This is a great way to pass on used clothes, especially when in a hurry before major relocations or when you are unable to leave your home.
Though a closed community, it’s easy to be added in and enter the very lively forum that has thousands of eager individuals. You can read more about the venture here and then decide to log in!
Via Flickr
We hope that these suggestions help you become more socially conscious and make eco-friendly consumer choices in the future, while also encouraging you to plan your soon-to-follow shopping spree!
Photo Credit
Cover Image Via Flickr
Disclaimer
This article is not sponsored by any of the parties or organizations mentioned above.