The complicated ethics of secondhand clothing
One of the best ways to fight human trafficking is through ethical consumption. For many young people, thrift shopping is a logical alternative to the problem of fast fashion and unethical clothing consumption. Buying used means we avoid contributing our money to the introduction of new garments in an already clothing-saturated world. And as an added bonus, thrifting helps us add new pieces to our closets at more-than-affordable prices!
But as thrifting has grown in popularity, thrift shop giants like Goodwill have become just that--giants. Intrigued by murmurs I had heard of unethical practices behind Goodwill’s blue doors, I decided to dive deeper to see what really happens to clothes that get donated to the thrift store.
When you donate clothes, your bag first gets sorted by the local staff. Wet or smelly clothes are unsellable and therefore they are sorted in with clothes destined for a landfill. Garments that pass through inspection are hung on the rack for about four weeks. After that period, they are sent to a Goodwill outlet store, a warehouse of bins that are brimming with used clothes. Shoppers may sort through these bins and purchase clothing by the pound for extremely low prices. After a stint in the outlet stores, the unsold garments move to live auction where participants may bid on bins of unknown items. And pieces that still remain unsold are moved to textile recycling centers like S.M.A.R.T. If clothes do not sell and are unable to be recycled for various reasons (contaminated fabrics, low quality fabrics), they will be moved to a landfill.
What can be problematic about this process is the sheer number of clothing that gets donated every year. While supposedly only 5 percent of Goodwill’s inventory is sorted into a landfill, this is still a large part of the staggering 12.8 million tons of textile waste sent to landfills every year. The global scale of secondhand stores like this greatly increases the difficulty of ensuring that clothes are actually recycled and utilized.
And a large part of clothes that are supposedly “recycled” end up being sent overseas to countries such as Pakistan and Malaysia. Unwearable clothing may eventually become shredded and used in furniture or insulation. But the ethical dilemma created by this should give us pause. Firstly, no country wishes to be a dumping ground for old, unusable goods. Secondly, the importation of garments creates a supply that outweighs the demand, contributes to the recipient country’s landfill, negatively impacts the local textile industry, and competes with the local economy.
But before we demonize the entire secondhand clothing industry, let’s make some converse points. Used clothes at thrift stores are accessible for lower income populations and play an important role in providing warmth, protection, and dignity for those folks. And it is true that donation extends the life of your clothing. After all, donating to a thrift store is certainly the better alternative to just throwing your clothes in the trash.
Furthermore, while shipping old clothes to third-world nations is problematic in many ways, it is still a market that employs people (at least 30,000 in the African nation of Ghana) and it would be extremely difficult if not impossible to dismantle this part of their economies.
So, what solutions are we left with?
Primarily, as consumers, we should be driven more by minimalism and quality rather than staying on top of trends and owning excess amounts of clothing. If this mindset drove our shopping habits, we would end up with much less textile waste at the end of the year. Striving to shop at sustainable brands means we will get a longer life out of our clothing, and even if we do choose to donate it, it will benefit the future recipient much more than if it were cheaply and poorly made.
As another point, consider giving secondhand clothing to a local consignment store or try selling it on apps and websites like Poshmark or ThredUp. This helps ensure that your clothing will actually be worn by another person rather than sent to a landfill, and you may even receive a small amount of money in exchange!
When donating, also consider sorting your clothes by quality. Those of high quality (think, “Would I give this to a friend?”) can be donated to a local thrift store. Clothing that is no longer wearable should be given directly to a recycling program. There are a number of U.S. retailers like Patagonia, H&M, and Eileen Fisher that offer take-back or in-store recycling. Check the brand of your clothing to see if other companies offer similar programs. The S.M.A.R.T. website can also help you locate the closest textile recycling outlet.
Making simple but intentional choices such as these can greatly help us limit our clothing waste, which in turn avoids contributing to unethical production and labor trafficking.
For more suggestions on what to do with used clothes, check out this or this article.
About the Author
Allison McCune is a girl of many interests. Whether it’s slinging drinks as a barista, hiking 600 miles in one summer, or dissecting poetry and literature, she brings passion and insight to everything she does. She hopes to refine her writing in the next few years while using her skills to work with non-profit groups. Her goal is to eventually return to school, complete a doctoral degree, and be able to teach at the undergrad and graduate levels.