I will admit that I have become an environmental fanatic. Is there any responsible way to recycle worn wool items such as wool socks?

Yes!
Unravel the wool item and roll it up into a ball. Use the wool yarn to hand knit new sox, sweater, scarf,etc.
That's what we used to do when I was a kid in Europe during he Nazi occupation as everything was rationed but nothing was available except on the blackmarket.

In general, except for certain easily recyclable metals, the best thing to do with just about anything is to use it again in some fashion. Things that are used twice and then discarded in the trash, save far more materials and energy than something used once and then recycled.

One of the interesting aspects of the recycled plastics industry is that most of the ads you see that promote the usefulness of recycled plastic are being paid for by the virgin plastics industry. Their goal is to get people into thinking plastic is more environmentally friendly and thus will be receptive to buying things packaged in plastic. This results in more sales of virgin plastic products. A lot of the plastic that is put into recycle bins is actually not recycled, as much of it is too expensive to recycle.

Thus if you want to be more environmentally friendly, it is better to buy less plastic and use things twice. People who buy a lot of plastic, use it once, and then put it into recycle bins, really aren't doing much in the way of helping the environment.

+1
Reusing trumps recycling.

hi,
I stopped buying bottled water, I have three nice bike water bottles that I refil and take to work with instant Ice tea, and then rinse them out a refil with bottled distillled I buy with 5 gal jugs that are refilled at the water hut, zero plastic to the land fill. I have the perfect renewable water bottles.
Its hard to find ways to go green but we really need to think about every possiable resource is renowable.
Doug

Um, plant them in the ground and grow new sheep?

Seriously though, you could save them and stuff pillows, or use as cozies for hot pots, use them to patch other wool items?

+1 on reusing before recycling.

Not exactly true. Son works for major carpet mfg. co. Entire lines of carpet are entirely made out of recycled plastic bottles. Millions of bottles into millions of yards of carpets. Don't feel guilty about plastic drink bottles if you recycle them. You may be walking on the very same bottles in the future.

What I said I believe is true, from several research reports that I have read, along with some in-depth TV programs on this subject.

You should note that I said, "A lot of the plastic ... is actually not recycled." I didn't say all of it, or even half of it, wasn't. There are a few types of plastic which are being recycled to a fair degree.

And even a plastic drink bottle used twice or more is more environmentally friendly than a single use then recycled. I've reused plastic water bottles up to 8 to 10 times before recycling them. When I go on plane trips, I pick up a plastic drink bottle very early after arriving. Sometimes it's water, sometimes a soft drink or juice. I pick out a bottle that is sturdy. I use it for my entire trip. Then toss it into a recycling bin at the airport on the way home. Skipping the use of 8-10 extra bottles is a hugely positive action.

All plastics now have a recycling symbol on them, with a number within it. Plastics #1, #2, and #6 have a fair chance of actually being recycled. Numbers 3, 4, 5, and 7 will usually end up in a landfill, even if you put them into a recycle bin.

I love all of the products now using recycled plastic.

As to the question about wool, a number of craft people make products out of recycled wool. It's quite usable if someone takes the time to do it. Places like:
https://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement...ool/index.html
https://www.hgtv.com/crafting/recycle...ing/index.html
https://www.abundantearth.com/store/W...esBlanket.html
https://simplyserina.wordpress.com/20...-wool-longies/

What's wrong with the socks? Can they be mended? I was talking to my sons the other day about a gourd in our garden. I mentioned that it would be perfect for darning socks. They both looked at me like I was from another planet. So, we came back into the house and I put up the following web site for them:
https://www.ehow.com/how_648_darn-sock.html

I have very fond childhood memories of watching my mother darn socks back in the 1950s. It was like magic.

"And even a plastic drink bottle used twice or more is more environmentally friendly than a single use then recycled."

Making something into something that lasts 10-20 years is not environmentally good**********? Just the energy savings alone is worth it.

If you use something twice, then you just halved your use of new materials.

That savings is far greater than the minor savings gained, in terms of total energy consumed, of recycling a single use product. That's what I was talking about.

Of course using something twice or more and then recycling is even better. But it goes that if you make an effort to use things twice, you are having a greater environment impact than using them once and recycling them. Especially if the plastic you are using twice is a #3, #4, #5, or #7 plastic, which is probably not really going to be recycled.

Using a water bottle and refilling it hundreds of times is immensely more environmentally friendly than buying bottled water and recycling all of the bottles.

Another use for 'worn out sox':
Slip the sock over plastic bike water bottle . . . great insulation to keep water cooler in the summer.
Note: water bottles on our tandem all have 'soxy' covers on them . . . keeps water cooler in our desert climate in the Southwest.
Pedal on!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Good point. But don't forget to wet the socks so you get the cooling effect of evaporation to make the water cooler.

I have some socks that are so worn that darning is no longer an option. It just seems wasteful to throw the wool away. I am wondering if Goodwill recycles material that can no longer be used as clothing. Hotwired in Milwaukee