I look forward to the change of seasons. It’s time to freshen my look with clothes that have been put away for six months or so. But sometimes I am surprised that the things I put away don’t have the same appeal they had last year. They fit differently. The colours don’t match what I think they should. They are more worn out than I thought. The pile of “I don’t think so” varies from items I just bought to the well-loved ones that I have been wearing for twenty years  and  should have discarded years ago when they are started to look a bit weathered.

I look forward to the change of seasons because it is a chance to clean out closets and get rid of stuff that is cluttering up my life and my perspective. I learned some years ago that keeping old clothes is just keeping more guilt. You look in your closet and think “I should wear that” – but you don’t – for whatever reason. If you dump it, you lose the guilt.

Now I found a way to make the guilt go away completely. Trade the old clothes in for a coupon usable at H&M. H&MCONSCIOUS is a program that aims to recycle your old clothes.

1. If the clothing can still be worn, it will be sold somewhere as second-hand goods.
2. Textiles that are beyond the look-good stage are converted into textile products such as cleaning cloths.
3. And if they are beyond the useful they are used to create new textile fibers for new products.

For each bag you donate, you get a voucher for $5 off future H&M purchases. Hmmm, less guilt + cash. It’s a winner with me. The bags are piling up on the floor of the closet – ready to go to out.

This program is an alternative to other programs that need clothes, but this year I think I have enough to make a bag for: H&M, Goodwill, Value Village, Diabetes Clothesline, and Salvation Army Thrift stores.

I am going to be so guilt-free when I look in my closet and see only the stuff I really love wearing and I know looks good on me.