What To Do with Your Non-Vegan Clothes

Going vegan and looking at your wardrobe is frustrating. All you see is death, pollution, confusion, and hypocrisy. You want to be an ambassador to the movement, but you also don’t want to throw away that expensive coat, made from durable materials and perfect for keeping you warm during the cold winters.

Waste Not

First and foremost - do not waste your clothes if you already have them. Veganism and conscious consumerism go hand in hand together although not exactly the same. In general, we as a human population need to consume less.

Instead, give your clothes to someone in need instead of throwing them away. If you do not keep your clothes or donate them to a charity, they will just end up in a landfill where they will pollute. The world definitely does not need that.

Invest in the Future

For those of you who are vegan and have non-vegan clothing in your wardrobe, you should not feel bad about owning them. It is what you do next that matters. Who cares what people think?

The important thing is to invest new money into a business that adheres to your morals and values. Investigate how a company you are interested in produces its products and check whether or not a company's products and methods are vegan.

The more you invest in these companies, the more you will help change the world.

It can be hard to throw away a good leather handbag or pair of shoes. The fabric is good and the products made from leather last a lifetime. Not to mention that they are biodegradable.

If you are 100% sure that you want to throw them away because you are afraid of people calling you a hypocrite, then make sure you find it a good new home and that the animal’s life was not completely wasted. Better to have someone appreciate the sacrifice than throwing it in the bin.

Tips to Get Rid of Non-Vegan Items

If you end up wanting to get rid of your non-vegan items, there are a few things you can do:

Have a Yard Sale

Yard sales are a great way to quickly get rid of non-vegan items like furniture, clothing and even jewelry.  It’s also nice to have some money left over afterwards that you can use to buy some new awesome vegan stuff.

Sell Online

Websites like eBay, Amazon and Craigslist and social media pages are great ways to turn your old, gross non-vegan stuff into cash, but they need a bit of setting up.  You might need to set up a PayPal account if you don’t already have one.

Take it to a Pawn Shop

You definitely won’t get a fair price, as pawn shops need to turn a profit to stay in business, so this should be a last resort.  Pawn shops can be rather picky too, so stick to your safe bets: jewelry, valuable trinkets and really, really old stuff.

Trade-Up

You might find that certain items, like your favorite pair of boots or your leather coat that fits you perfectly, are difficult to part with. In these instances, you might want to try getting rid of them (via any of the above options) only after you’ve bought a similar vegan replacement for them.

Some people prefer to use things ’till they break. You may feel more comfortable finishing whatever animal products you now have in your home, but not buying more. Use what you have until it wears out or runs out and replace it with the vegan alternative. Over time you will eventually have gotten rid of all your non-vegan items.

Wear it out ’till it breaks / Use it ’till it’s gone

Some people prefer to use things ’till they break. You may feel more comfortable finishing whatever animal products you now have in your home, but not buying more. Use what you have until it wears out or runs out and replace it with the vegan alternative. Over time you will eventually have gotten rid of all your non-vegan items.

DIY

If you have items that hold sentimental value you may find it difficult to part with your old clothing, especially if you are looking to sustainability as your main driver. In this case, you can always choose the DIY approach for turning your old clothing into something else you plan to use.

Fabrics, even those that aren't vegan, still hold plenty of utility. Consider repurposing older clothing to make other things like tapestries, quilts, blankets, or other crafts.

FINAL THOUGHTS

You might find that more than one of these solutions makes sense for your particular situation. Do what feels comfortable for you, but whatever you do, do not just throw things away.

There are people who can use your unwanted non-vegan clothing, furniture, and food. Veganism is something that’s possible no matter what someone’s social status, but throwing away food and clothing that could at least temporarily ease that suffering is absolutely wrong and plain irresponsible.

Do not worry about being a hypocrite.

It is all about attitude and how you share your values. We are not here to pressure others but to inspire them to do their best. If your best is to buy vegan or eco-friendly products from now on and appreciate the animal products that you have in your wardrobe - then so be it.