What happens to the clothes you donate to Charity?
We’ve all done it. Decided we want a clear out and mindlessly piled unwanted clothes into bags for ‘charity’ feeling good about the fact they’ll go to someone in need.
Sadly the stark reality of where our charity items end up is very different. Giving unwanted items to charity makes us feel good and is just so convenient, it’s not surprising many people prefer not to think too hard about where these garments actually end up.
The main issue is that most people purchase far too many items, and stop wearing them far too quickly. The Ellen MacArthur foundation reports that clothing production has more than doubled since 2000 and now churns out in excess of 80 billion items a year. The result is that charity shops are brimming with people’s unwanted clothing and they physically do not have space for it all.
In addition, due to the rise of fast fashion, the quality of the clothing donated is low and many of the items do not wash or wear well making it difficult to sell for any meaningful profit..
So, what happens to our donations?
The Telegraph reported in an article that only around 30% of charity donations are sold on within the UK. The volume is just too vast for it all to be sold through our charity shop store fronts. In addition, many items received at charity shops are poor quality (hello fast fashion) or damaged which makes it difficult to sell on.
The clothes that are not sold on via a charity shop (either in-store or online) could be sent to Sorting Banks where they are hand sorted into different categories depending on the condition and fabric.
Textile recycling
Where possible, items that can be recycled will be. However, this is a complex task as it is difficult to recycle ‘mixed’ fabrics and many of our garments are made from a combination of multiple fibres. In addition, I wouldn’t blame anyone for assuming that a polyester skirt can be recycled into another item of clothing, yet the truth is that each time a synthetic item in recycled it reduces the strength of the fibre. Therefore, most recycled clothing is in fact made from sturdy plastic bottles.
Kantamanto, Ghana
Many unwanted clothes are put into ‘bales’ and sold overseas.
Kantamanto in Ghana is reported to be the world’s biggest secondhand clothing market in the world. Many of our ‘donated’ fast fashion items will end up here.
I’ve recently listened to an insightful podcast about Kantamanto on Carla Press’s Wardrobe Crisis podcast with Liz Ricketts from the Or Foundation. Click here to listen. The stark reality is that 40% of items sent to Ghana in bales ends up in landfill within two weeks. Essentially, the quantity of items received is too high and the quality is too low.
Let’s put this into context, Kantamanto has a population of 30million and receives around 15 million items of clothing a WEEK with 40% ending up in landfill.
Retailers in Ghana buy bails and sell them in the bustling secondhand market. The best items from each bail are sold on quickly but the retailer then has the risk of being left with the low cost items that cannot be sold. The retailer may employ a tailer or seamstress to re-work low cost items to help with sales. Ultimately, items that cannot be sold will end up in landfill.
Bales of clothes in Kantamanto are heavy, weighing anywhere from 60 to 90kg. Due to the set up of the markets, transportation by individuals is the only option to move the clothes, so bales are carried on the heads of ‘headporters’ (Kayayo) who are predominately women between the ages of 8 and 30. Many of these women have migrated from Northern Ghana hoping to find work to support their families. The task of carrying bales causes serious long term health issues. Some women have no choice but to carry their children on their backs and bales on their heads during their work day. There have been heart wrenching reports of children being seriously injured as the bales slip position and fall like a brick..
“Kantamanto’s kayayei perform labor that is literally backbreaking and when a bale falls, it falls hard, a solid brick of fashion – breaking limbs, crushing feet or worse. Kayayei die when they take on loads that are too heavy for them, their necks breaking under the weight of the bale. A bale of clothing. We are past the threshold.”
The stark reality of the world’s biggest secondhand market is not an easy read. People struggling to make a living on very low salaries with stories of abuse, rape and major health problems.
So what can we do ?
We are not encouraged by brands to consider where our low cost items end up when we have finished with them. By highlighting the issue of landfill and overseas secondhand markets, the brands would undoubtedly take a hit on sales.
However, we all have a duty to understand the impact of our actions if they have a detrimental effect on both planet and people.
There are some simple ways we can collectively help improve the situation with regard to our unwanted clothes..
Spend more money on less items so that your clothes last longer..
Embrace circular fashion and consider selling items you’re no longer wearing.
Also, consider buying secondhand first before opting for new.
Take garments that are damaged or cannot be sold to fabric recycling banks.
Consider reaching out to a local women’s refuge who may be in need of donated clothes.