Up to a third of clothes donated in the US - the world's biggest exporter of used clothing - ends up for sale in markets in the developing world. Photos: 123rf.com
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began early this year, textile recyclers and exporters have had to cut their prices to shift stock as lockdown measures restrict movement and business slows in end markets abroad."We are reaching the point where our warehouses are completely full," Antonio de Carvalho, boss of a textile recycling company in Stourbridge, central England, wrote to a client in June, asking for a price cut for clothes he collects.
De Carvalho's experience is mirrored across the sector, suggesting that, even once the pandemic passes, the battered trade could take a long time to recover. The retreat of recyclers is having far-reaching consequences for an industry that has seen an annual average of more than US$4bil of used clothing exported globally over the five years to 2019, according to UN trade data.In Britain, the weight of used clothing exported from March to July was around half what it was for the same period last year, official trade data shows.
Many fashion retailers encourage shoppers to bring unwanted textiles to their stores for collection and some even offer discounts on new purchases in exchange.The consequences of the decline can be seen in countries like Kenya, which imported 176,000 tonnes of second-hand clothing in 2018, equivalent to over 335 million pairs of jeans.
Yet the challenge continues for traders like Mutisya and Anthony Kang'ethe, who works as a driver for a shop selling second-hand clothes in bales shipped from Britain. He said the business had been hit hard by the supply crunch.Recycling to eliminate waste