I can remember Mum unpulling old jerseys to re-use the wool in other things; most people did that then. And cut down old clothes from the adults to make 'new' things for smaller kids. And of course everyone had a veg garden then, & compost usually - we seem to have been more green in the past.
in order to be old & wise, you must first be young & stupid. (I'm still working on that.)