When you leave a bag of clothing you no longer need in a solidarity store, it may seem that you are making simple gesture of kindness. However, a growing number of studies suggests that the journey of donated clothes is much more complex – and worrying – than you think.
Many stores and solidarity collection centers are having difficulty dealing with the huge volume of clothes they receive.
Although the most appealing articles can be sold locally, a significant part of donations cannot be usedreports the.
The non -salable pieces are often packed with bales and Submitted abroada practice that artificially improves local waste numbers without really solving the problem.
In some cases, the donated articles They are simply discarded.
One conducted by researchers at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and published in October in the Nature Cities, He accompanied clothing donations in nine large cities, including Austin, Toronto, Melbourne and Oslo.
The results of the study revealed a common pattern: excessive donationslooking for a limited location and Massive exports of used clothing. In Norway, almost all the clothes collected leaves the country, while the US and Australia also export huge amounts of the donations received.
Solidarity organizations, traditionally focused on social welfare and funds, are not prepared to manage volumes so large of textiles.
“Solidarity organizations are moved by social welfare values, and need to raise funds for your programs. However, its operations are not equipped to deal with the volume of used textiles that need to be reused and recycled, ”explains Yassie Samieresearcher at Rmit University in Melbourne, Australia.
Global textile waste currently reaches tens of millions of tons per year, largely from rich cities with high consumption and rapid rotation of clothing.
At the heart of the problem are two key factors: the excessive consumption and the exaggerated offer. THE Cheap and low quality fashion Encourages people to buy more than they need, use articles only a few times and discard them.
A quality of these clothes is often so low which are not for or recycling, which limits its reuse potential. Irony of ironies, the flood of cheap donated clothes can even damage small businesses Resale, which often depend on higher quality imported articles.
According to the study’s authors, Reducing consumption is so important how much recycle: trying to create a circular economy without addressing excessive consumption is like trying Due water from a boat without repairing the hole.
The study also recommends cities level interventions. Municipalities should treat textiles as waste that require proper management, with local collection, screening and processing systems.
In addition, they emphasize investigators, encourage the can extend the life of clothing. Limit Fast Fashion publicity And promoting sustainable alternatives can help change consumer behavior.
Without fundamental changes, the culture of disposable fashion will continue to overload solidarity organizations and global waste management systems – and make your gesture of solidarity useless By donating a piece of clothing that no longer wears.
