Justice versus Conscience

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It’s important to get rid of the clothes you no longer want responsibly. Instead of giving to huge organizations like Goodwill or Salvation Army that just pollute other countries & destroy their local textile markets, try donating to your local homeless shelter or small nonprofit. These often don’t get as much attention & ensure your clothes will be worn again. If that’s not an option, try selling on Poshmark/Depop or, as a last resort, send it to ThredUp who can sell or recycle it for you.

I love fashion, and it pains me to see those clothes all thrown away because of their poor quality. Fast fashion is a huge problem. If people buy good quality clothing and donated it, then the life for these clothing will be extended. I shop from many op shops here in Australia, and I am disappointed to see fast fashion brands (oftentimes in poor quality of fabric) being donated. No wonder the charity shops will sell it overseas and go to Ghana once it wasn’t sold in Australia. Nowadays, I rarely send clothes for donations because of this awareness. I upcycle old clothes and create a new one that suits my style. It feeds my creative side and somehow helps to minimize waste from our home.

A big part of the problem is the lower quality of clothing that are produced by the “fast fashion” brands. Before, you could sell/buy good clothes on the second hand market that had value but nowadays….not so much. The quality is sometimes so bad (looking at you wish ) that it isn’t worth selling for any second hand clothes shop/dealer ️ Bad quality clothes don’t last long when new and when they are donated they are already mostly trash (shape has become all weird, the thin fabric tears easily etc) and thus not worth re-selling and they cannot be fixed either ️ We should buy less and if we buy we should buy good sturdy quality clothing that when we don’t want/fit it anymore it is actually still valuable to someone else ️

The recycling industry in developed countries is a sham. Developing countries are already struggling with pollution and dumping trash onto them just makes the situation worse.

this is more common than Westerners think. Here in the Philippines, there’s literally thousands of branded 2nd hand clothing in public markets. I was able to buy a vintage Fuji TV promotional sweater from 1994 for around $1. I looked it up online and it was being sold at around $100 in grail markets. There’s also lots of college sweaters, company uniforms, etc.

This is why I find it weird when people buy more clothes than they can possibly wear. Consumerism has blinded the general populace from the consequences of fast fashion. If you’re comfortable in your current clothes and they look good on you, why not just wear them instead of buying new ones? No one is really gonna bother about how you look anyway, unless you dress up in rags or go to a formal workplace. I guess it’s just me but I’d like to avoid being a hypocrite when I talk about these things, like do I really have the right to say anything about these brands if I’m actively supporting their unsustainable business methods? Plus these companies are mostly from the US and we know how capitalism works, the politicians might just be receiving cheques from them to not do anything.

In my country we call this a “bhero” and these are the only clothes that some people can afford, I found Vera Wang for 50 cents

I used to despise the trade on selling used clothes but seeing the huge problem on garment waste I see how important it is. I thank you that there are people who re-use them. Now what I despise are the companies that contribute to fast fashion.

My mom has made doormats out of her used sarees. It is hard work and takes quite a skill, and one piece can take a couple of weeks to be made. But the doormats made out of it are quite intricate and durable as well.

I believe part of the problem is also allowing low quality items with stains and holes through the quality check into those countries but it is cheaper for the owner of the company to fill 20% of the bales with these poor quality items and send them out because no one will hold him accountable but hey what do I know

This is so frustrating to me! I try to buy clothes that are good quality or made of natural fabrics, but the crap out now is so cheap, I have to rebuy every year! I’m also tired of clothes that make my skin feel like it can’t breathe! I don’t think people realize that much of these new fabrics are just different types of plastic, contributing even more to global warming! We are doomed!

Here in the Philippines, we call these as “RELIEF” when I told my classmate that this was supposed to be aid they were shocked how com these clothes are being sell. I just answered. MONEY that’s it.

We need to require the fast fashion brands to recycle clothes. They need to have a drop off area for old clothes. Develop an efficient and sustainable way to recycle or remove all this clothes safetly. Or else it’s all going to the ocean.

I’ve always known that Fashion is the most polluting problem in the world, but what could I do to reduce it? I always thought clothes donated or given to those recycling companies could tear up the old clothing to re-use the fabric, turned into someone’s art or something useful, not trash.

We call second hand clothes in Ghana “fose”. And the thing that pushes this market is that fact that a shirt I could buy for 50 units of my currency, I can get it for about 5 units or less.

That’s a danged shame. I still have many of my clothes from 2000 when I was in my mid 20’s and seriously, after hundreds of wears they still look very good for their age.

I’m from Ghana, this is the easiest way to get original brands

There’s a ban on used clothes here in Ghana but I guess there’d always be cracks in the system or laws not probably been well enforced, from time to time I do petronize these sellers because I get quality brands unlike some local store brands except I want to pay 10x more for same quality at the malls, anyway it’s all about circumstances. Good job Business Insider, love from Ghana🇬🇭

I will never again spend money on clothes more than I have needed,seeing this just gives me chill..

I agree with all comments that says that one option is to buy less clothes of better quality. I would also like to add that would help a lot if people start to do basic sewing stuff like before. Back in time was common to sew a hole, apply a patch on torn knee on childrens pants and so on. Now one damage and people dispose it.

In the Philippines, we also have something similar called ‘ukay-ukay’, but its usually a smaller operation compared to this and its only open 1-2 days per week in markets. Everything is in good quality and some are even branded, which is why it’s usually crowded when it’s open.

This clothes in my country are called okirka, wearing one right now and in a lot of countries around the world, they’re the only clothes most can afford.

I love fashion and it’s nice to own a new pirate of clothing now and then. I believe that the big cause of fast-fashion is social media and their “influences.” They are making people believe that owning lots of clothing and posting pictures with different clothes equals success and happiness. If you wear the same clothing in multiple photos, you are criticized or seen as “poor” so people go to cheap brands such and H&M and get new stuff very often. It’s a problem caused and exacerbated by social media, marketing, and narcissism. But that is just my personal opinion.

Where clothes come from is not the issue…. The main issue is how people dispose them….

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fast fashion is luxury in developed countries and its suffer for poor nations yet they want to cap the waste produced by poor nations

And then there goes influencers proudly promoting overconsumption with their SHEIN hauls that would never be worn or just once for a 15 seconds TikTok video. SMH

Basically a lot of cheap junk is clogging many third world countries. Recycling is a long and tedious exercise. The problem has to be nipped in the bud. Stop manufacturing and buying too many clothes or in fact any consumer items which should rather be reused rather than destroyed.

What I don’t get is that if I’m donating my clothes I expect that people who have no money get them for free and not that people pay money to buy those bags and resell them

This is painful to watch but also make me proud of what I do. I upcycling vintage shirt into a makeup bag it’s very cute and im proud to be someone who can help reduce the waste. It sad to see this continue to happen.

What to do with old clothes 1. Rag clothes for cleaning and wiping 2. Stuffing for diy pillows 3. Stuffing for toys 4. Cut into thick strips and braid to make carpets 5. Warm rags for pets

I really feel bad for Africans….a lot of them have lost faith in their country’s system…. corruption seems rampant in Africa more than anywhere in the world…god bless Africa and Africans…

if you want to buy good stuff, buy from locals or buy second-hand. in good s-h stores you can buy branded or even new clothes for half the price or less. I bought licensed WH40k T-shirt for 17PLN (4,30 USD), so anything is possible. Used clothes you don’t want to wear you can use as a cleanup equipment if it’s made from natural materials like cotton (eastern Europeans do this for years now).

This destroys the local economy and gives the nations that gets these packages the incentive to develop their own clothing manufacturing and retail industry.

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Hats off to the hard workers in this video!

I already buy all my clothes from goodwill, not even cause I couldn’t afford them new, but because you can’t find them new anymore, I look for vintage stuff, also brands like Huf, active, obey, etc…I constantly find those brand shirts brand new with the original tags for around $3 a shirt and $5 for a hoodie or sweater…when originally it would of costed probably $40 for a shirt and upwards of $80-$100 for a hoodie or sweater. It’s insane how many things people just throw out that are worth so much. And no I don’t re sale it’s just for my own closet.

“The price has increased even though the quality has progressively decreased” You just explained capitalism in one sentence

They have plenty of free time but no one care about cleaning the beach. That’s pretty sad.

I remember growing up and going there as a kid and my mum buying me my first football boots .

Huge fast fashion companies are to blame for this, but also the people who buy them. Primark is the worst in the uk I think.

This is what Target , Walmart and similar stores have caused. Cheap clothing yields these results.

It is just crazy what we discard pay $50 bucks and trash it 6 months later just because fashion dictates. I have had a pair of boots resoled for $10 each time rather then spent $160 for new. We are a crazy species.

Nice to watch an INSIDER video asap after it got released.

They should consider using the old clothes for fuel. Sawdust is compressed into fuel bricks, why not old clothes?

This is why I will never feel bad about being a depop seller. People really don’t realize how many clothes there are in the world that get dumped. We need more people to buy second hand than new.

Instead of donating to Goodwill or salvation army, consider using old clothes as rags for absorbing car oil after changing the oil, or rags to cover the floor when you’re painting a wall or a rag for staining furniture or puppy pads or filling for a doggy pillow pad. Use old clothes that can’t be salvaged like you would with old towels.

I love Fashion but I am the type of person that never throws away my clothes because I spent money on it & I love my clothes too much.

I hope some campaign against these donations isn’t started. These clothes help people in my country A LOT. If it wasn’t for them then I don’t even know what we’d be wearing. For us clothes aren’t a luxury, but we can’t walk around in torn clothes. The idea is great so it’s crazy when people brand it as “polluting countries” and discourage donations. Because of course, for some ppl there can only be extremes n ultimatums. People need cheap clothes. Just make sure the clothes you give away are in good shape.

I never thought of where my donated clothes go 🙁 this is awful. Fast fashion sucks.

This is also common in the Philippines. Online live selling of preloved clothes is a hit aside from the traditional “ukay-ukay”

Buy less. Wear it longer. The global fashion industry, from designer to fast fashion, needs to be entirely revamped.

This is really unfortunate but you know for a fact a large amount of shein products are probably there.

And here I am, wearing the same clothes I have been wearing for the last 6 years haha. Guess I will keep wearing these clothes until they fall apart!

Why challenge all these fashion companies when they have no part to play in this. The problem stems from the fact that so many people think that they are helping others when they are just giving someone else their garbage to discard.

Same here in Bangladesh, tons of donated clothes sold at prices that very poor people can also afford, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still robbing from them, they could’ve gotten it for free

It’s damn weird that people even throw out clothes that quick. You do not have to buy, don’t buy!!!

30,000 people, the mind boggles that there is the 2nd hand quantity of clothing to provide identical business opportunity for that many people. Many charities have pods in carparks to donate clothes, so the bad clothes may only see another person once they arrive at that Pakistan sorting office, shame that Pakistan sorting place is knowingly sending bad clothing out to buyers.

I’m so happy to hear hear about the clothing help, especially for children. Now the people need to get together and clean up their city and land. That is also crucial

The clothes are causing more problems then they’re worth. Repair and rewear it best.

So i use to sell scrunchies and i found out that you could either buy fabrics or use used clothing. Its okay if there’s holes in them bcs you can just cut around them. Second way is to make into pouches either drawstring or zippers. Those two is one of the ways im pretty sure theres more out there

I only buy clothes that I need & I have purchased about 10 to 15 items in the last 5 years. Anything else I already have from years gone by.

I’d like to know how much of the clothing items were exclusively designed for females, because I have a hunch it would be a lot as I have seen this trend where women buy cheap clothes and when they tear, they go buy new ones; and this goes hand-in-hand with their need for new clothes every two-three months.

there is such an easy fix to this issue. carry on with the clothes getting sent out there but they need a trash to electric furnace plant. that can take all the waste garbage, clothes etc and burn it at such high temperatures that it does not produce much pollution and it produces electric for the community at the same time.

It’s okay to wear the same things over and over again.

Most of the consumers don’t think and see hard enough, how much and how long would they use most of the things specially non consumables that they buy. From Ghana’s point of view, they would lavishly spend use, consume and then after some tie not use, discard, donate or just throw away. Being prudent is so old fashioned for THE RICH.

“donated” “cost 200-300”

I’m horrified… Most of my pants are Marks and Spencer… I’ll be doing some intense research to look for sustainable clothing in the future… But on the plus side, I’m Indian and Indians hate waste, so all the fast fashion clothing i have will be worn till they’re unwearable then reused in a different way (most likely as a wipe or something)…

So this is where my donated clothes went. I had always thought it went to the needy free of charge…

Sounds like there’s a surplus of clothing. I wish we in rich nations would donate more medical supplies.

man said we are not at peace I felt that in my soul

I’ve been wondering if it is even possible for a country to be rich without expliotation.

Instead of throwing the clothes it must be shredded then used in making of affordable pillow ,mattress and similar items.