After reading about the global textile waste crisis and mismanagement of our discarded clothes we can easily ask ourselves:  

“Ok but is there any way I can recycle my clothes myself? Wait! Could I compost my clothes?”

But can you compost your clothes at home or through the brown bin?

Through this article you’ll discover that, yes, composting textiles is possible on paper.

Although currently, it’s very likely that not many of your clothes will pass the check list for compostability. That’s why at the end we’ll give you some tips about what you should be looking for in your next purchase if you want to compost it in 20 years. We know, it’s a long shot, but at VOICE we think you should set yourself up for success, even if it’s in 20 years.

What makes the perfect compost candidate?

When looking at composting clothes, especially for at home composting, a few prerequisites are in order to select the appropriate candidates. Even if it sounds amazing to just toss your old wretched clothes in your home compost or your brown bin, most brands manufacturing practices are still raising barriers.

Fibres

Naturally! (ha-ha) The very first thing to look at is going to be the fibre(s) that compose your garment. And I’m sorry but we need to be strict. Only natural fibres will be accepted. This is a VIP club.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the most commonly found natural fibres :

If you have clothes that are 100% of one of these, that's a great start!

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Are synthetic fibres acceptable

The short answer is NO!

Synthetic fibres like polyester, elastane, or nylon (most commonly found) are basically plastic, a toxic cocktail of fossil fuels and chemicals. Landfilled or incinerated, these items are highly harmful for our environment and our health, polluting soils and releasing methane, which we would like to remind you, releases up to 30 times the amount of toxins as CO2 gas.  

Some sources allow a margin of up to 5% of blended synthetic materials in their compost mix, but we will keep it simple and avoid any potential contamination of our lovely home compost. Note that anything that is compostable at home can also be put in the brown bin.

Once we have the right fibres we still have to look out for a couple of things. The composition is an important component but not the only, there is still room to ruin it.

Our garments go through complex manufacturing processes that could alter their compostability, namely:

Dyes and finishes

Unlike materials and fibres, the type of dye is not indicated on the tag. Unfortunately, most dyes used are synthetic, toxic and polluting, which makes our sorting a bit trickier. We can usually assume that if the fibres are natural and certified, a natural dye has been used.  Yet, brands that do use natural dyes will most likely indicate it. It is rare enough to be used in their marketing (and rightly so).

The same applies with finishes, which are put on clothes at the end of the manufacturing process to improve their look, their resistance to stains and weather, or to enhance anti-microbial or anti-static capacity. Once again, we are faced with chemicals that can alter the compostability of your garment.

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Is there any way of knowing ?  

While compostability certifications have become common for certain packaging in both home and industrial composting, the same cannot be said for clothing. Caution is advised when confronted with claims of "biodegradability" in the fashion industry. Technically, almost everything is biodegradable, including plastic, so it's crucial to scrutinize such assertions. If it is reasonable to assume that eco-friendly brands using natural fibres wouldn’t ruin all their efforts by applying these harmful products, but we cannot assume the same of mainstream brands.  

However, there are brands that are now fully committed to the soil-to-soil approach in fashion - meaning they ensure that the garment is all natural, having the least impact in its making, and can be returned to the soil at the end of its life.

Danu organic

This brand is a model in that sense. All of their clothes are compostable, to the last detail (buttons included). Yet, they also offer the "Infinite Return" programme where they encourage their clients to return old clothing for resell or upcycling from them directly. They are the definition of investing in an ethical piece. Something that you'll be able to keep for decades, before returning it for a new life or to the earth.

Fibreshed Ireland

Closer to home: Fibreshed Ireland is a great organisation dedicated to applying that philosophy and support craftmen and women across the country.

You could consider contacting the brand directly to ask about their production process. If you do, please let us know, we would be curious to know their answer.

Otherwise, what we suggest you do, is test a sample of the garment by placing it in your compost. Come back a few weeks or months later (see below for the timeframes) to see if it has begun to decompose. If not, it probably means that some chemical is blocking or delaying the process.  

Which leads us to an important point:

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How long will it take?

Once we have our candidates or samples free of their embellishments (tags, buttons, synthetic threads, etc.) and any non-organic stains (paint, bleach, etc.), we can finally put them in the compost and… wait!

The timeframe will depend on the fibre, the thickness, the blend… So, you have to be patient, very patient in some cases.

There you have it, you are now ready to decompose your clothes. Bear in mind that textiles can’t take up any more than 25% of your compost, so don’t go and buy loads of linen shirts to dispose of them a month later (although I doubt any one would want to do that).

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Summary: The 5 steps to composting your clothes

1. Check the fibres

2. Try to find out if any synthetic dye or finishes have been added

3. Take out all the embellishments (buttons, threads...)

4. Cut into little pieces/shred clothes for optimum composting

5. Be content in knowing that this is one less item put to landfill or incinerated abroad.

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Conclusion:

Is composting a solution for all our clothes? Definitely not.  

After reading this, you might realise that it would be hard to find a piece of clothing that fits the criteria in your wardrobe. So, if it’s so difficult and not a widely applicable solution, why are we even writing about it?  Well, because it showcases a huge incompatibility between the current fashion industry and sustainability at its core: the capacity to leave no trace.  

Over 70% of items put on the market are now fully synthetics or blended materials, while recycling capacities are almost non-existent.

Thinking about clothes in terms of compostability could lead to rethink our own shopping habits and critically assess the products that are presented to us.

Next time you consider purchasing a t-shirt or a dress, think about its potential compostability, it might naturally guide you towards items with more sustainable choices.

In essence, compostable clothing is not about being able to dispose of garments guilt-free or claiming some kind of eco-conscious superiority. It is about building a wardrobe that inherently minimizes its impact on both the environment and society. Behind the economic choice of buying sustainable, there are real implications at the industry level, ensuring a toxic-free working environment for farmers and garment workers. These choices also have health and environmental benefits beyond the purchase, avoiding toxins and microplastic shedding during use. Ultimately, we can expect a much simpler disposal after a positive and ideally long use phase.  

The simple idea of considering compostability opens the door to broader changes in our fahsion habits, prompting us to question how our clothes are made and what materials are used.

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