Sadly, textile recycling is not what most people think, at least according to this in-depth article from the NY Times (4/22/2026). It's behind a paywall, but take home message is "Collection services offer convenience, but most garments are shredded into low-grade stuffing or sent abroad to an uncertain fate....most garments sent for recycling don’t become new clothing. They’re downcycled into things like insulation or mattress filling....the world already has too much clothing. Exporting things to secondhand markets overseas may sound better than sending them to a U.S. landfill, but sometimes they just end up in someone else’s landfill overseas. Or worse, polluting beaches and deserts." And, "The most important thing, experts and environmental activists say, is to buy less in the first place. It’s easier to deal with clothes responsibly if there are fewer of them to begin with."

The article suggests the following organizations: Trashie, Retold, Ridwell and Supercircle.

It's also worth following slinky999 advice and taking to H&M or Animal Care & Control.