A person who owns used clothing may decide that he no longer wishes to wear it and may buy new clothing instead. Even if the used clothing is still wearable, this does not violate bal tashḥit. A person is not required to keep wearing clothing until it wears out. Rather, once it no longer suits him or gives him satisfaction, he may purchase other clothing to replace it. If the clothing is still in good condition, he should try to pass it on to someone who can use it. If he gives it to the poor, he also fulfills the mitzva of tzedaka. The same applies to used utensils and furniture. A person is not required to keep using them until they wear out; once they no longer suit him or bring him satisfaction, he may replace them. If others could still benefit from them, however, there is a mitzva to pass them on. Even if he does not personally know anyone in need, he should avoid destroying them for no reason by giving them to secondhand stores or distribution centers for the needy. Furniture and other objects can also be posted on websites for selling or giving away used items.
However, when the effort required to find people who will use these items is worth more than the items themselves, there is no obligation to extend oneself. Doing so is only an act of piety, as explained in the previous section and note.
One may cut old tzitzit strings in order to tie new ones in their place. True, with effort, they could be untied and reused. Nevertheless, when this would involve significant effort, one may cut them, even though this destroys them (Ḥayei Adam 11:32). Similarly, one may replace an unattractively written parchment panel in a Torah scroll with one written more beautifully, even though the removed panel will have to be placed in geniza (Sefer Ḥasidim §879). Likewise, one may place old ḥumashim in geniza and purchase newer ones that are more aesthetically pleasing.
People who are financially comfortable may replace kitchen cabinets, countertops, flooring, and furniture, even when these are still in good condition, since they are doing so to bring themselves satisfaction and not to destroy the old items. Still, they should make an effort to find people who will benefit from the furniture they are replacing. The proper standard seems to be how such conduct would be viewed by the overwhelming majority of their peers at the same social and economic level. If those peers would consider it destructive and excessively wasteful, then replacing these items involves a violation of bal tashḥit. They avoid the prohibition only if people can be found who will benefit from the items being replaced, or if the project provides work for people who need employment to support their families. In such cases, even though they are acting with great extravagance, they do not violate bal tashḥit.
