Sustainable Fabric Disposal Options

Jun 21, 2018 | Sustainable Quilting

Selling Your Fabric

Wooden Spools in Englewood buys fabric, though their website with the buying details is currently down. This is a good option to recoup some of the money spent on larger cuts of quilt shop quality fabrics. Craft Scraps in Littleton buys quilting fabric by the pound. However, an appointment is required for all sales and there is a ½ yard minimum. For the full list of requirements, click here. The Craft Box in Wheat Ridge purchases supplies by appointment. There are many restrictions on their buying, so make sure to read through all the rules. The Hidden Treasure in Longmont accepts craft donations or will sell your items on consignment. You can see the full policies here.

Donating Your Fabric

RAFT Colorado in Denver is a reuse center specifically for teachers. They accept fabric as well as many other craft materials, you can find the full list and drop off hours here. Art Parts in Boulder is a nonprofit creative reuse center that accepts donations most Fridays and Saturdays, but make sure to check the website to make sure there isn’t a donation hiatus. View all the rules and find out how to get a 10% off coupon when you donate. ReFrame Creative Reuse Center and Makerspace in Denver accepts material donations. ReFrame is a nonprofit committed to providing sustainable, affordable supplies. Check with local schools, libraries, Girl Scout troops… Kids don’t care about the quality of fabric and they can be a great for them to learn to sew. Fabric can also be cut up and used in art projects. It’s worth taking the time and making a few calls to see if these items would actually be useful to the organization, you don’t want to burden them with items they don’t know what to do with. You can also contact with thrift stores to see what their textile donation policies are.  

Recycling Your Fabric

Most H&M stores have a clothing recycling collection bin. You can read the full details of their commitment to recycling fabrics and what they do with the items. USAgain has textile recycling bins in the Denver area where you can drop off clean textiles. Click here to find a bin location. American Textile Recycling Service has donation bins around the area, find locations here. Eco-Cycle CHaRM (Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials) in Boulder accepts any clean fabrics one square foot or larger for recycling. The full material list and drop off hours are available on their website. Star Industrial Supplies in Denver accepts fabric and clothing that can be resold, reused, or donated. They recycle more than 97% of the textiles they accept and send clothing around the world to be worn again. I could not find donation information on their website, but you can contact them at (303) 295-7737. The Broomfield Recycling Center offers textile fabric for Broomfield residents, but check your local recycling center for recycling details.  

Other Great Options to Consider

Days for Girls creates menstrual kids for girls in developing countries. You can sign up to actually sew the items for the kits, or you could just donate your fabric to a local chapter. They need 100% cotton fabrics that are dark or patterns, but no patterns with animals or people. The pieces should be at least 12″ square. If you have dark flannel, they always need that and have a harder time getting it donated.  Use tiny scraps instead of polyfill stuffing. If you’re making a plush, why not stuff it with those tiny fabric scraps you have from trimming countless HSTs? Or use them to make a dog bed and donate it to an animal shelter.   If you have any resources we haven’t listed, please let us know!  
Rebecca Greco
Author: Rebecca Greco