What To Do With Old Swimwear
Whether you’re in the middle of a wardrobe refresh or you’ve found your favourite swimsuit no longer fits the way it used to, knowing what to do with old swimwear can keep it from heading to landfill. Like with lingerie and other underwear, it’s not always obvious how you can donate, recycle or reuse old swimwear, so we’ve created this guide to help you make the best choice for the environment.
Do Charity Shops Take Swimwear?
Swimwear, like underwear, can be a tricky one for hygiene reasons. Not all charity shops will accept swimwear because of this, but some still do. It’s worth getting in touch with your local charity shops, homeless shelters and similar organisations before trying to drop off your old favourites so that you can be certain they accept swimwear. If they don’t, it’s likely any swimwear they receive as donations could end up in landfill anyway.
As well as donating to charitable organisations, you might also consider smaller-scale recipients. Many communities have ‘swap shops’ or reuse hubs that allow you to drop off unwanted items for free. People who are struggling to make ends meet can then come along and take any items they need. If your local community doesn’t have one of these, you could also advertise your unwanted swimwear on local social media as free to a good home.
How To Recycle Swimwear
If you can’t find a way to donate your swimwear - or if it’s broken or otherwise unfit for donation - recycling it could be the next best thing. Household recycling collections don’t usually include clothing and textiles, but there may be appropriate facilities at your local recycling centre. Alternatively, clothing recycling bins often crop up in public locations such as supermarkets, village halls or community centres. Just remember to check that the facility accepts swimwear before you use it.
On top of that, some swimwear brands or conservation organisations actively encourage people to donate their old swimwear to be recycled and repurposed into something new. Search online in your local area to find out if there’s a swimwear recycling scheme near you.
Top tip! If only one-half of your swimwear set is worn out - for example, your bikini bottoms have lost their elasticity, but the top is fine - don’t forget that you can mix and match between different bathing suits. Pairing a bikini top with the bottoms from a tankini set can help you to get more wear out of each item - as well as adding more variety to your beach outfits.
Ways To Reuse Old Swimwear
If you can’t donate your swimwear to someone in need, and you’re unable to send it to be recycled, you might consider reusing it in a different way. With a little creativity, clothing and textiles can often be repurposed to get more use out of them before disposal. Old swimsuit material can be used for a variety of DIY projects such as scarfs, headbands, lampshade covers and more. If the fabric is faded or torn, making it unsuitable to be used as it is, consider cutting the swimsuit up into strips to be used as stuffing for a cushion, stuffed toy or stress ball.
If you’re a sewing enthusiast who likes to make your own clothes, you may be able to repurpose your old swimsuits into something appropriate for you or even a friend. Alternatively, you might consider turning a worn-out one-piece into a refreshed bikini or tankini set, or a beachy cover-up. And if you’re not the crafty type yourself, you can always donate the fabric to your local crafting circle or similar group so that they can make good use of the material.
Wearing out an old favourite swimsuit doesn’t have to mean throwing it in the bin. As you can see, there are plenty of options to take care of your old swimwear long after it’s served its original purpose. Next time you find you’ve worn out a swimsuit, don’t feel guilty - just use one of the methods above to give it a new lease of life and treat yourself to something new.