I was lured into trying Trashie by an ad promising free gift cards in exchange for bags of unwanted clothing. It sounded great, so I ordered one of their Take Back Bags to try out. Read on for my Trashie review and find out if their Take Back Bag is worth trying.
Trashie Review: Their Ads Are Misleading
While scrolling through Instagram, I saw an ad for a new site called Trashie where you can send in bags of unwanted clothing and textiles for “TrashieCash.” It said you could then trade your TrashieCash in for gift cards. Their site is https://www.trashie.io
The idea sounded great, since my ThredUp selling experience didn’t work out well, so I went to their site to get the details. Each Trashie bag costs $20 and can hold up to 15 lbs. of clothing, shoes and other household items. I got an instant $10 TrashieCash for ordering the bag and then another $20 for registering it after it arrived.
I checked the site for these amazing gift cards and all I could find were deals and coupons. The same kind of discounts I could find online without paying any money.
I think those initial ads disappointed too many people, and they no longer have ads promising gift cards.
I do not think Trashie is a bad company, I just think their initial ad campaign was misleading and that led to my own personal disappointment with my experience.
See below for examples of the TrashieCash Rewards:
Paying Trashie to Take Your Clothes
My Trashie Take Back Bag arrived in about two weeks. I managed to fill the bag up pretty quickly with a bunch of clothes and shoes I was going to take to Goodwill. Then I registered it on the website and was sent a free shipping QR code. I still need to take my bag to USPS for it to be sent out.
I was hoping after I got the bag and registered it, then the magical promises of gift cards would come true. It did not. There were no gift cards and still only coupons mostly for places I didn’t need to shop at and things I didn’t want. It might have actually been worth it if there were Target coupons or any stores I shop at regularly.
Calling these “$$ off if you spend X amount” deals gift cards is incredibly misleading! Trashie amounts to you paying someone $20 to take your clothes, but you have to also pack it all up and drop it off at their house.
How Trashie Works
Trashie.io is a platform designed to make recycling unwanted clothing and textiles easy and (supposedly) rewarding. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:
- Take Back Bag: You order a Take Back Bag, which arrives within 7-10 business days. Fill it with unwanted clothing, shoes, accessories, and certain home goods.
- Return Process: Once the bag is full, scan the QR code on the bag to get a free return shipping label. Drop it off at any USPS location for free or at a UPS Store for a small fee.
- Recycling and Rewards: Trashie sorts the items into over 250 categories. About 70% of the items are reused globally, while over 20% are recycled into new fibers or used for other purposes like pet bedding. For each bag you send, you earn $30 in TrashieCash, which can be redeemed for deals (NOT gift cards) at various brands.
- Chrome Extension: Trashie also offers a Chrome extension that helps you save money while shopping online by finding and applying coupons from over 15,000 merchants. You can also earn TrashieCash through this extension.
Is Trashie Worth a Try?
The bottom line is no, I don’t think Trashie was worth a try for me. It was not what I was looking for.
That does not mean it’s not what you are looking for!
I don’t want to pay someone $20+ to take away things I could easily donate to my local Goodwill. And this Trashie take Back bag is probably going to sit around as long as my Goodwill bags would. So, it’s not like I was able to get rid of my old junk any faster.
They have since improved their ad campaign and are more upfront about what you get.
If you want to recycle your textiles this way, by all means, give Trashie a try! And stop sending me angry messages for sharing MY personal opinion. I was honest about why I tried it, and what I got out of it. Make your own choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Trashie work?
To use Trashie, you purchase a bag for $20, fill it up and mail it back. You will instantly be credited with Trashie Cash to use for rewards.
How much does Trashie cost?
Trashie Take Back Bags cost $20 each. There are discounts for multi-packs starting with 6 bags for $100. Shipping is free both ways.
How do I return my Trashie bag?
To return your Trashie Take Back Bag, you will need to drop the bag off at USPS unless you can schedule a pick-up.
What kind of rewards can you get with Trashie?
You can trade your Trashie Cash rewards in for discounts off purchases. Usually, it is a percentage or dollars off a minimum amount. Most of these discounts are already available for free online. There are no gift cards available.
Can I earn gift cards with Trashie?
Trashie rewards do not include any gift cards, only discounts.
What does Trashie do with the clothes?
Trashie sorts everything and recycles some things and send the clothes to different places where needed. They use a detailed grading system to sort every item.
How much does the Trashie Take Back Bag hold?
The Trashie Take Back Bag holds 15 lbs. worth of items. It's not all that much if you are doing a big clean-out. I could have filled 5 bags with the amount of stuff I had after cleaning out my closet.
Would you use Trashie again?
No, I would not do Trashie again. It amounts to paying someone to take a small amount of your clothing after you've packaged it and brought it to the post office. The rewards were disappointing.
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Good to know
I had really hoped it was going to be worth it!
What a shame! As I was reading the post I really hoped it would work out too – we need some new initiatives to stop textiles from going to land fill… but now I’m wondering what they do with all the textiles they receive (eventually) – do they say whether they donate / recycle / repurpose the fabric – or might they just tip it or send it to goodwill… sounds a bit like what we call “green washing” in Australia.
They say they carefully sort everything and send it to places where people need it. After my one little 15lb bag that cost me $20 to fill, I kept cleaning out my closet and it would have costs me about $200 to send it all out. So I took it to Goodwill for free lol.
You are aware over 75% of the things donated to goodwill go into the landfills and eventually end up in the ocean. The rest of the sales ends up in the CEOs pocket. There is nothing good about goodwill.
Do you have facts to back this up, or did you just read it somewhere on the Internet? I’m sure no company is perfect, but that seems like a pretty overblown statement.
There is a whole documentary on it. The majority of the clothing ends up in west Africa- FACT & all you have to do is google “documentary about used clothing ending up in west Africa” a few will pop up. The SICKEST thing is: for some reason they all go to Australia? First? Get sorted and packed (by ship) then get go by boat again; the I west Africa- and the MESS and clogged water ways and BURNING other the clothing – it’s horrific
That sounds like a really interesting (and scary) documentary! I’ll have to look it up. Thanks for sharing.
I saw that film – that was Planet Aid donation collections (Those yellow bins in parking lots). This is suppose to be different. 🙃
I do not agree at all with this post. After digging through the trashie website I already knew that it wasn’t going to be gift cards to my local Walmart, target, Best Buy etc. Nothing is misleading since it’s on there website.
The whole point of the program is to recycle waste. That’s it ! it’s supposed to be an Eco friendly program for hard to recycle products . Don’t let this blog prevent you from participating with trashie. The goal is not the money you get back, the goal is to try to prevent waste! & yes, even “plastic bags” can be recycled with proper equipment! Including your “trashie bag.”
Trashie has since changed their misleading advertisements on Instagram. The ads literally said, “earn gift cards.” Exact words. I shouldn’t have to “dig through their website” to find out the ads were untrue.
It still amounts to paying someone $20 to recycle my stuff. And if people want to do that, this blog won’t stop them. They’ll just be aware of exactly what they are getting into.
I totally agree with Anon M! It’s not about gift cards or coupons. To me, it’s about keeping things out of landfills. I don’t put stuff in the bag that can be used by Goodwill, etc. Only threadbare items, old shoes, socks with holes, etc. I can fill up a bag pretty quickly. I give them as gifts. And they’re much appreciated.
That is the right approach, however their advertising was geared toward earning gift cards and rewards. So, they drew in the wrong kind of audience with those promises. Keeping junk out of landfills is great. Giving the bags as gifts is also a neat idea.
Thank you for you review! You gave me the information I needed. I would love to earn direct gift cards to business I actually frequent… Walmart, Target, Marshall, and Home Goods, Amazon, etc. Even if the build was slow to these gift cards, it would be so much better than basic discounts you can find anywhere to sites I don’t shop.
I appreciate your words!
Thank you! Yes, I agree that I would also like to earn real gift cards, even if it was a slow process. Maybe they will work up to that in the future since there’s such a demand. I think the recycling part is great, I just wish there were real “rewards.”
I got Trashie bags through ThirdLove. I paid $20 per bag and received $20 credit at ThirdLove. I was breaking even and got to recycle (even though I haven’t really found anything on where the items end up- it’s all very vague what Trashie does)! I was so excited I got 5 bags! AND it has been a complete nightmare trying to use them! You cannot combine the credits. You cannot use them with any other promotions. If a bra is on sale from $69 to $49, you could not apply the $20 credit. I can’t remember the bra prices right now, but just using those numbers as an example. They don’t apply to underwear bundles. Who knows what else. I have bought bras on ThirdLove since then without the credits because the sales were cheaper. I would not recommend Trashie.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I still have $30 in “trashie cash” that I have not been able to find a use for myself.
I am happy to pay &20 to keep textile waste out of landfills or shipped off to developing countries. I don’t think the rewards should be the motivation.
How are people supposed to use the $30 Trashie cash they’re offering? Is this separate from the discounts? It’s not al all clear from the website, it only points you to download an app, but no clear explanation on how you can redeem.
I think you trade it in so you can use that discount offer. I haven’t looked at it in a while, but that’s how it was when I tried it. I never found anything to use my trashie cash for though.