This story was written by Abby Jackson and originally appeared in Cooldown.
Smartwool’s The Second Cut Project has created a recycling program to remove socks with holes.
We all hold clothing items for different reasons. Maybe you think it could wear more if repaired, or you feel guilty about throwing it away.
Many of us deal with these useless pieces of clothing by shoving them into the back corners of our drawers. This is because there seems to be no other way to responsibly dispose of it.
Smartwool has developed a solution so you can breathe a sigh of relief in your top drawer.
Give your old socks a second life
Smartwool’s The Second Cut Project aims to keep resources circular, starting by giving old socks a second chance beyond the landfill.
In partnership with Material Returns, Second Cut Project collects and breaks down hard-to-recycle socks made from a multitude of synthetic materials to create new products such as dog beds.
How to recycle socks
Here’s how our sock recycling program works:
Order a free take-back bag and pay about $5 for ground shipping or get free shipping when you purchase $75 of Smartwool sustainably made outdoor apparel and socks.
When you receive the bag, stuff it with old (clean) socks of any material of any brand, apply a prepaid label, and bring it to your local FedEx location.
Leave each sock loose in the bag – do not fold, roll or attach matching socks.
Turn unwanted socks into Smartwool dog beds, Second Cut K9 Camp Cushions.
To date, Smartwool has recycled 246,000 socks and prevented over 20,000 pounds of material waste from entering landfills. The goal is for him to reach 400,000 socks by the end of this year.
With the Second Cut Project, Smartwool creates products using natural materials and systems that keep these materials in circulation for as long as possible. This circularity keeps waste out of landfills, conserves resources and saves energy.
Why Sock Recycling Matters
An estimated 21 billion pairs of socks were made and sold in 2019. Given that socks are one of the most discarded items in apparel, this means a lot of fiber, or fabric, is wasted.
According to Samsung research, the average person in the UK sheds 15 socks a year, or 1,264 in a lifetime. Multiply this by 68 million Brits, and he throws out about a billion socks each year in just one country.
When these socks are sent to landfills, they can take anywhere from a year to over 200 years to decompose if not incinerated.
Either way, fabrics like socks release harmful gaseous pollutants into the air that can cause or exacerbate respiratory diseases such as asthma.
Programs like Smartwool’s sock recycling give me the peace of mind that I can finally give those socks that haven’t seen the light of day in years to a responsible new home in Fido’s bed. All without guilt.
This story was written by Abby Jackson and originally appeared in Cooldown.
