Why Recycle Instead of Donate?

Did you know the fashion industry produces a lot of waste? A LOT. In fact, American throw away an average of 26 billion pounds of clothes a year! Yikes. Clothes that are made out of synthetic fibers, like polyester and rayon, take over 200 years to break down in the landfill. This problem piles up, literally. 

Maybe you’re thinking, “but I donate my clothes!” Clothing donation seems better than throwing clothes right in the trash. Sure. But, did you know that more than 70% of the clothes donated to large thrift chains end up in the garbage here or are sold to other countries where large amounts end up in illegal landfills? In the countries that receive these clothes, namely Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and other East African countries, the practice of selling second-hand clothes destroys the local industry. On top of that, the surplus of second hand clothes dampens the dignity of the locals as well. Illegal landfills have been created as floods of unwanted clothing, shoes and bags wash in from the West, and this isn’t good for the environment or the health of locals.  

So, what can we do? While we encourage lovers of fashion to "shop less" and "shop better,” this long term goal will not happen overnight. In the mean time, we want to do the best we can with the clothes that already exist. That’s why we have partnered with Green Tree Recycling!