I stumbled across this thing called Trashie a few months back when I was trying to clean out my overflowing closet. If you haven’t heard about it yet, then it’s Trashie review time!
It’s basically this mail-in bag program where you can send off your old clothes, even the super beat-up ones, instead of throwing them in the trash. It’s gotten pretty popular lately as more people are trying to figure out what to do with all their unwanted stuff.
My friend Amber actually mentioned Trashie to me during one of our coffee meetups. She had just sent in her second bag and couldn’t stop talking about how good it felt to clear out space without adding to landfills.
I was honestly pretty skeptical at first like, you pay to send away your old clothes? But after my massive spring cleaning left me with a pile of unwearable shirts and odd socks, I decided to give it a shot and share my experience with you guys.
In this post, I’m going to walk you through EVERYTHING about my Trashie experience, from ordering the bag to shipping it off. I’ll share what my friends thought about it too, plus answer some big questions like whether it’s actually helping the environment or if it’s just some clever marketing scheme.
What is Trashie? A Quick Understanding
Trashie is a company that lets you mail in your unwanted textiles so they don’t end up in the garbage. They were originally called “For Days” but rebranded to Trashie recently, which honestly makes more sense for what they do.
What they do is, they send you this special bag (that you pay for upfront), it’s called Take Back Bag, you fill it with your old clothes and fabrics, then ship it back to them using a prepaid label. The whole process is super straightforward.
You buy a Take Back Bag from their website, stuff it with clothes you don’t need and send it back. They sort through everything and figure out what can be reused, resold, or recycled.
And in return, they give you something called “TrashieCash” points that you can use for discounts with their partner brands.
But still, there remains a question, is this just slick marketing or actually worth it? From my experience, it’s a bit of both.
Yes, they’ve got cute branding and a trendy vibe that appeals to eco-conscious people. BUT they are also providing a genuine service that’s hard to find elsewhere.
Most donation spots won’t take stained or ripped clothes, so Trashie fills a real gap. The $20 price tag feels steep at first, but when you factor in the rewards and convenience, I think the value is there for most people who are concerned about how to make space and also find a place for those old clothes.
How does trashie work?
Let me walk you through exactly Trashie Take Back Bag works, step by step:
First, you go to their website and buy a Take Back Bag. They have different options to choose from depending on how much stuff it holds. I went with the Classic bag for $20, which holds up to 15 pounds of stuff. They also sell them in 3-packs or 6-packs if you’re doing a massive cleanout, plus special bags for crafting scraps or kids’ clothes.
Once your bag arrives in the mail (mine took about a week), you start filling it up. They accept WAY more than I expected, like clothes in any condition (even with holes or stains), shoes, accessories like belts and scarves, and household textiles like towels and sheets. Just make sure everything is dry and in shipping condition.
After filling your bag, scan the QR code printed on it as this activates your bag in their system and generates a prepaid UPS shipping label that you can print at home.
Next thing you need to do is, drop it off at any UPS location, and you’re done! Once they receive your bag, they credit your account with TrashieCash points (usually around 30 points per Classic Bag).
There are some limitations worth mentioning though, like this service is only available in the US right now. Most of the textiles are accepted but there are few exceptions like you can’t send carpet or curtains, only clothes and other house textiles.
Your bag needs to be closed properly or else it won’t be accepted, in case you are thinking of stuffing 30 pounds into a 15 pound bag. The other limitation is geographical, this service is only available in the US right now.
My Honest Trashie Review
After using Trashie twice now, I have a pretty clear picture about its pros and cons. While trying new stuff, it’s necessary to know what you can expect for the product, whether it’s a normal bag or a trash bag.
So far, I will say that it’s convenient but not perfect. As for the long version, keep reading because that’s what we are going to discuss here.
Why I tried Trashie?
Last fall, I realized I had accumulated a MOUNTAIN of clothes that were past their prime. We’re talking shirts with armpit stains, socks with holes, and jeans with blown-out knees. My local donation center had actually turned away a bag of my stuff before because it wasn’t “sellable quality.”
I felt super guilty about just throwing it all in the trash, knowing it would sit in a landfill forever. When I heard about Trashie accepting literally any textile condition, I figured it was worth a shot.
The Ordering Experience
Ordering the bag was simple enough, you simply go to their website which is really easy to navigate. I opted for the standard Take Back Bag and it cost me $20, which promised to hold up to 15 pounds of textiles. The checkout process was quick, and I got an email confirmation right away.
The bag arrived in about 5 days in a cardboard mailer. My first thought when I opened it was, “This is bigger than I expected!” It’s a pretty decent size like a large shopping bag. The material feels sturdy, and it has easy-to-follow instructions printed right on it. There’s also a QR code for when you’re ready to ship it back.
Filling the Bag
I went through my closet with ZERO guilt about what condition things were in. That t-shirt with the coffee stain went in the bag, single socks that lost their mates years ago, they went in the bag as well.
There were also a few old pillowcases that were too worn to use but too good to trash. After I was all done with stuffing that bag, I realised it’s got quite great capacity.
I managed to fit:
- 8 t-shirts
- 3 pairs of jeans
- 2 sweaters
- A bunch of mismatched socks
- 4 tank tops
- 2 old bath towels
- 1 pair of sneakers with a hole
- Several worn-out washcloths
And I still had room to spare so the 15-pound limit is pretty generous for clothing, which is relatively light compared to its volume.
Shipping & Tracking
Once my bag was full, I scanned the QR code which took me to a page where I could print my shipping label. I taped it onto the bag, dropped it off at my local UPS store (they have a drop box right by my grocery store, super convenient), and that was it.
They sent me an email confirming that they have received my bag about a week later. The tracking wasn’t anything special, just standard UPS tracking, but it did the job. I could see when it was picked up and delivered.
Overall Experience
Overall, from my personal experience, I’d give Trashie a solid 8/10. The process was straightforward and worked exactly as promised. The bag held more than I expected, and I loved the guilt-free feeling of knowing my old textiles weren’t heading to a landfill.
The biggest downside is the $20 upfront cost that feels a little steep at first but when you consider the TrashieCash rewards, it makes more sense.
Plus, the convenience factor is huge as I didn’t have to sort through what was “good enough” to donate versus what needed to be trashed.
Understanding TrashiCash
TrashieCash is basically Trashie’s rewards program, for each bag you send back, you earn points typically 30 TrashieCash points for a Classic Bag.
These points can be redeemed for discounts and offers with Trashie’s partner brands. These aren’t just random companies either, they’re mostly sustainability-focused brands that align with the whole eco-friendly vibe Trashie is going for.
When I got my TrashieCash, I browsed through the rewards section of my account. Some of the offers included 20% off at sustainable clothing brands, $15 off home goods made from recycled materials. There are also free trial boxes from eco-friendly subscription services and discounts on reusable household products.
I ended up using my points for a 25% off coupon at this sustainable shoe company I’d been eyeing. The discount saved me about $30, which means I actually came out $10 ahead on my $20 Trashie bag investment!
BUT another thing I would like to point out and this is pretty important. Not all rewards are available all the time. Some of the best offers were already claimed when I looked, which was kind of disappointing. They do refresh the options regularly, though, so it’s better to check from time to time, if you don’t see something you like right away.
Another thing worth noting is the actual value of TrashieCash totally depends on whether you’ll use the partner brands. If you’re not interested in any of their partner companies, the rewards won’t be of much use to you, more likely they will be useless.
Is Trashie actually good for the environment?
Based on what I’ve researched and experienced, I think the answer is a qualified yes.
The big environmental benefit that this company is making is pretty clear. Trashie diverts textiles from landfills, considering the amount of clothes that go to waste is quite concerning. Americans throw away over 34 billion pounds of textiles each year, which is wild when you think about it. By providing an easy way to recycle items that traditional donation centers won’t take, Trashie is addressing a real problem.
Their sorting system also seems thoughtful. They claim to sort items based on condition and send wearable clothes to markets where they’re needed like winter clothes to colder regions and lightweight items to warmer climates. Items that can’t be worn again get “downcycled” into things like industrial rags, insulation, or carpet padding.
But still, there’s a point of concern and that is, shipping textiles around the country creates a carbon footprint, though Trashie might argue that centralized, efficient sorting outweighs this impact. There’s also limited transparency about exactly what percentage of items get reused versus downcycled versus potentially still ending up in landfills.
I’d love to see Trashie publish some concrete numbers about their environmental impact. That kind of data would really help consumers feel more confident about their environmental claims.
Does Trashie really recycle clothes?
From what I can tell, yes but Trashie doesn’t exactly claim to turn your old t-shirt back into a new t-shirt (which would be true recycling). Instead, they use a combination of approaches:
- Reselling wearable items in secondary markets
- Donating usable clothes to communities in need
- “Downcycling” worn-out textiles into other products
That third category is what happens to your truly unwearable stuff. Downcycling means converting materials into something of lower quality, something like turning old cotton t-shirts into cleaning rags or insulation material. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than our clothes rotting in the landfill.
But I wish they’d be more open about their entire process, like which sorting facilities they use, what verification they have that items are actually being recycled as claimed. All of these are fair questions that environmentally conscious consumers should be asking.
Trashie Alternatives
Trashie isn’t the only one who’s following such a concept when it comes to textile recycling. If you’re looking at options, here are some alternatives I’ve checked out:
ThredUp Clean Out Kit
They follow the similar concept but focused more on reselling your items. They’ll send you a free bag, but they’re pickier about conditions since they’re trying to resell on their platform. You can opt to have unwanted items recycled, though.
TerraCycle Textile Program
They have specific recycling programs for different types of textiles and fabrics. Sometimes these programs are free when sponsored by brands.
Local Options
You can always go for local options who are willing to take your used stuff. Some options include H&M and other retailers with in-store recycling bins, they also give you a small discount coupon that you can always use. You can also go for local donation centers like Goodwill or Salvation Army (for wearable items)
You can check out the community textile recycling events as well, you just need to check your city’s waste management website, you might find some there.
Also, there are a few animal shelters that accept old towels and linens for bedding.
The main advantages of these alternatives might cost you but there are also some that are free. The disadvantage is that many won’t take damaged or stained items, which is where Trashie really outshines.
For me, the combination of accepting any condition textiles and the TrashiCash rewards makes Trashie worth the $20, but your mileage may vary depending on what local options you have available.
Conclusion
After trying Trashie twice and doing a deep dive into how they work, I can conclude in this Trashie review that their service is worth a try. It’s not perfect but it’s better than throwing old clothes in the trash.
It’s no doubt that it’s super easy to use, accept items in any condition, and they also provide a solution for textiles that most donation centers reject, which makes things a lot easier.
And that’s not it, you are also getting something in return and that’s TrashieCash rewards, they can offset the cost and help in reducing the guilt of textile waste
Though the $20 upfront cost per bag might make you step back but if it meets all your needs then you are all set.
Another thing that I prefer is that they do something about their limited transparency when it comes to the full recycling process. Plus the Rewards can sometimes be unavailable or useless if you don’t like what is offered.
For me, the convenience factor is huge. I love being able to clear out my closet without sorting what’s “good enough” to donate versus trash. And knowing that even my most worn-out items might become something useful instead of landfill waste, that’s actually a much better idea.
