Tasha Lewis, associate clinical professor of fashion and retail studies at The Ohio State University.Ībout five percent of all textile donations go straight to the landfill, because of contaminants like mildew. “Goodwill and similar charities provide a channel for clothing disposal that is largely unmet by municipalities,” says Dr. The big thrifting organizations receive high volumes of donations and have the expertise, equipment, and partnerships to process and extract as much revenue as possible, says journalist Adam Minter in his book “ Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale.” Labor, transportation, and environmental costs add up, but all donations (except for what’s landfilled, which has a disposal cost) earn revenue that’s funneled into charities’ and not-for-profits’ programs. “Items that do not meet our quality standards are passed along to the Salvation Army, where they may begin their larger, global journey for reuse,” says Ness. Whether donated to Goodwill or a place like PRISM, the best items get diverted to eBay or Craigslist with the next best sold by the piece in thrift shops. She’s the executive director of PRISM, a Minnesota nonprofit that sells clothing donations in its Shop for Change Thrift Shop. “After donations are dropped off at our facility, our team completes a thorough inspection to ensure items are not damaged with holes or stains or inappropriate, determines the proper price, and then stocks our shelves,” says Michelle Ness. Job creation is also an important part of charitable thrifting: Staff does the important first step of sorting. When donating to charitable thrift corporations like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, every sale helps fund their programs. Less desirable items go through a series of bulk buyers, repurposers and recyclers both in the U.S. When you drop off clothes for donation, they are first sorted so the most valuable garments are sold online and in thrift shops. What happens when you donate old clothes? Here’s what to consider when cleaning out your closet. While all but five percent of donated textiles are resold for reuse or recycling, it’s impossible to know exactly how much ultimately becomes trash.ĭeciding where to donate makes a big difference not only to your environmental footprint but also to your community. “Everyone has ‘skin’ in the supply chain, so there’s incentive to not lose items to landfill because that will be a loss of revenue,” says Amelia Trumble, CEO and co-founder of Retold Recycling. ( Fast fashion goes to die in the world’s largest fog desert.) The rest goes through a series of sales, from resellers to textile recyclers both in the U.S. residents generate an average of 82 pounds of textile waste every year, with 85 percent of it going to landfills or incinerators even though 95 percent can be reused.ĭonating is a popular alternative-but know that only about 10 to 20 percent of donated clothing gets sold at thrift shops. But cheap clothes aren’t made to last and that excess often ends up in a long chain of carbon- and labor-intensive reselling and recycling, if not directly into a landfill. Need to get rid of old clothes? You’re not alone: With fast fashion, it’s easier than ever to buy into trends.
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