Check the marketplace website for more tips on what do with your old clothes here: www.cbc.ca/marketplace/blog/want-help-on-what-to-do-with-your-old-clothes ^nr
Environment conscious fashion engineers can use biodegradable products example polypropylene non woven fabric and in the label print this clothing will naturally biodegrade in 5 years' time. Or this clothing will naturally biodegrade. This needs scientific research. For the so called fast fashion. And another one is to have a fashion catwalk using recycle products; genuinely taken from what is thrown.
@@Schocam the problem is, biodegradable materials come from plants. It will take a lot of arable land and forest to make up for the demand of materials. These plants will need vast amount of water supply that could drain most of the ground waters. These negative effects is what's exactly happening in Malaysia, they're planting lots of palm trees, extracting oil as alternative to fossil fuels and exported to Europe.
Why not just sell the old underwear in the mail for 10$/ each (+ 2.99$ for shipping & handling, very important to cover the incurred cost and keep the profit margin high) for guys with issues who need them, it's a good side hustle instead of just giving it away just like that!
This series is eye-opening, I cried when I saw all that clothing on the streets of Kenya. Plus, this reminded me of my great-grandmother's wedding dress, which years later was redesigned to be my grandmother's prom dress, the rest of the fabric the seamstress made handkerchiefs for my grandfather. Years later the same dress was redesigned and my mom used it for her wedding. Last week my sister wore the same dress to her academic award ceremony. After grandpa died, the handkerchiefs were given to my dad. (They still look brand new). Perhaps, if more people could reuse and redesign their clothing and hand it down the world and people would feel proud.
It'd be cool if some people were able to use the fabric from unwanted clothes to make blankets and tents for the homeless. Can even use some as cloth diapers. I know the military takes old clothes to use for rags but they can definitely be reused more than what they're getting
The issue is that most clothing is no longer made from durable, good quality fabrics. Items that will last years and years are difficult to find, even if you have the money to spend. Over the last two years I've tried to cut out fast fashion from my wardrobe but have been dismayed to find that even clothing stores that claim to be sustainable and craft quality items to last very often have bad designs and lacklustre fabrics, and use the "sustainable" title to draw in customers who don't know any better. of course thrifting is a great option, but it doesn't work for everything. The other option is buying very high end designer items, but I can't afford that, even at used prices.
I guess some people are like that. I hate buying clothes. I ran into the issue last year I didn't have any decent winter clothing to visit family for Christmas. I ended up in a ratty sweater and shivering in T-shirts most of the time. That reminds me, it's Nov. I need to buy at least one sweater. I wonder if the Goodwills are open?
I haven't bought any new clothes in close to a year now. Trying to buy second hand as much as I can (exept underware). Better for my wallet, better for my environment.
+Nakidz : I'd say true, enough; but, it evidently is mostly up to consumers to learn and decide to live less wastefully. See my main and wholly separate comment further above, if interested. Waste makes haste and haste causes waste.
Exactly! Create a capsule wardrobe, with clothing that will last over the years and not go out of style instead of falling into the consumerist trap of “following trends”.
I still have more clothes than I need but I buy them used, usually ebay or poshmark, and I have donated or sold a lot used. I try not to buy clothes in the store unless it is something I really need or will wear often. When I do buy used clothes I try to buy very high quality items that I know will be in high demand if I re-sell (like lululemon, athleta, etc). Also, before I donate anything I make sure that it is clean and repaired in such a way that you can't even tell it ever was stained or ripped. I am very good at getting out stains and yellowing using baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and clear dish soap combined. The key is to make anything you donate fully serviceable if it is to have any chance of being re-used. I do admit most of my clothes are synthetic, but synthetics last a lot longer whereas cotton gets faded fast and has to be thrown away soon. I also get a lot of 100% wool. I used to get moths ruining them sometimes but I learned to store each separately in large Ziploc storage bags, so now they are preserved well. Basically, we need to take the best care of what we have and try not to get more. My only new purchases this year were maternity clothes because my regular clothes do not fit now. But when I am done with the maternity clothes, I will auction them off on ebay as a lot to the next pregnant mama.
honeybdream exactly. I've watched those documentaries. cruel the way they lock workers in those stuffy room, deny them water,,make them work way over time and abuse them.
10:12 Lady: "At least they're trying?" Old lady: *silent and judgmental pause complete with ice cold stare, then remembers it's always good to be nice on camera* Yes! 😄
It's really hard to find the good clothing, especially if you want to get it in a store. I have not seen a good pair of jeans for females in quite a few years, and I've looked in most of the stores within a 2hour drive. Everything has elasticity to it, which means it stretches and doesn't make for the most comfortable secondhand experience, and it also can break/ tear easier than old jeans, and you can't just patch them.
I’ve had clothes last me years, even cheap fast fashion items. They key is to wash everything in cold water and hang to dry, only use the dryer on the gentle cycle (no heat). Your clothes will last years.
Message to Goodwill and Value Village: How about charging realistic prices for clothing so you have a higher turnover??? $15.99 for used jeans.....Come on!!! $8 for an old t-shirt?? There is lots of local demand for used clothing they just have to adjust their prices so everyone can afford them.
Carol Bei it's frustrating to donate as well. I used to donate to Goodwill and salvation army but the majority of what you donate ends up in the landfill, picked over by employees, and then priced so high the people who actually need it can't afford it. I have seen living room sets listed for half of retail. When you are truly in need, you can't afford a living room set at $400. There must be a better way.
Value Village charges insane prices for some of their stuff. I completely agree with your post, Carol. $60 for leather jackets? $30 for wool sweaters? please!! Years ago, when i had no income, there have been times where i went in with the best intentions, but found myself having to steal pants from this store, because of their ridiculous pricing.
They have a system here where you donate and get a discount card for a percentage off. I frequently bring multiple bags of new or near new items and have to practically beg to get a measly 15% off . It's ridiculous. If they charged realistic prices they would not have to throw near that much away. The only reason so much goes to landfill is because of mismanagement. I've known people who dumpster dive behind second hand stores and find high demand items such as lego. They tell me there's better inventory out back than in store most days. These stores seriously need to get their act together.
Carol Bei I 100%agree. Thrift stores have their stock given to them, staff work for free and no rates to pay (here in uk) for charity shops, yet they still charge £££s when it should be pennies.
I know. I donate to Value Village only to see huge crates filled with the donations behind the plaza in the snow and rain! I found a small local thrift store that takes the donations, and as long as they are good, they put them on the rack right away.
I just deleted a bunch of clothes that i wanted to buy from my favorite online store. Thanks for this informative video. As a side note, my mother travels back to her country in the middle East each year, and she personally goes to underprivileged villages to donate the clothes, DIRECTLY to the families who are I need. They become so happy and are appreciative. So I agree: If you personally know someone who is in NEED, donate to them directly. But of course, the 1st step is not to allow capitalism to steal our money or ethics, in the 1st Place. Peace to all♡
Same here. I went online to read reviews about H&M brand before buying some clothes from their website, and 'fortunately' I landed on this UA-cam video. I realise that what we think is cheap is actually not cheap because they wear out and fade out after few uses. I have deleted my shopping bag, but I think a lot of work needs to be done in creating awareness because most people do not realise the implication of this devastating 'fast fashion' fad
I hate going to the stores like Forever 21 or H&M and theres SOO much selection with cheap material it overwhelming for me, now when I pass it all i'll think about how much of those clothes are going to end up in landfill.
Also to add some people think they are too good to wear clothes someone else has worn or don’t like the idea someone has worn it. I mean when you go in stores to try clothing on a person has probably tried it on too.
That’s why you should always wash your clothes whether you buy it from the typical clothing store or from the thrift shop. This is why the washing machine was invented.
@@qazplm3845 The problem is you wash most clothes at 40 degrees. So you basically just give germs a warm bath. Germs and bacteria are killed only at 60, 90 degrees. So no thank you, I won't buy other people's clothes and I am OK with the ones that have only been tried on in a store. It's purely due to hygenic reasons. I don't have a lot of clothes and you can find a lot of 10 year old clothes in my closet, but I would never buy used clothes. What is wrong with keeping your own clothes for a few years instead of buying new stuff?
@@myopinion2day Whether your clothes are just store brought or decades old, you should still be washing your own clothes at high temperature. Because as you go about in daily life as there are bacteria everywhere and you could still get ones that you are dangerous to your health. And these are the kinds of things you don't want risk, even if you go out rarely go outside or live in a sparsely populated area. You can also use diluted bleach to kill bacteria, and that shouldn't remove too much colour. Whether it's from you or someone else's, nasty stuff will definitely be on it regardless. Therefore it isn't as unhygienic as it may seem to buy someone else's clothing if you just wash it well. So wash it well.
I don't think donors care where their clothes will go. They just want to get rid of them minus the guilt. Even if the retailers secretly threw them to the landfill, hey it's their responsibility now.
True! They need to make consumers aware of the problem and of the options we have, i Iive in a border city, my co-worker volunteers in an orphanage and nursing home in Mexico, I donate my clothes to her, she takes it to Mexico,.
I do care, for this reason I only donate broken clothes to H&M and the others I donate them or I try to sell them at a cheap price if they have a great value
As someone who works in a large chain thrift store, watching pieces like this just make me shake my head when people say they feel fine with donating clothes with holes or broken zippers or huge stains. Who will want to buy them? You just want your trash out of your house but don’t want the guilt of throwing it away yourself, so you give it to us to throw away for you so that you can feel good about donating. If you have clothes of organic materials like 100% cotton, you may be able to compost them. You could cut a stained shirt into cleaning cloths. These days you can make cloth masks from old clothes that maybe a thrift store wouldn’t be able to sell. Reduce your spending first, reuse the clothing as best you can, and recycle / donate whatever is fit for someone else to wear. Also, love seeing Elizabeth Cline in videos like these. Her book “Overdressed” made a cameo here and is well worth the read.
Yes!!! I just found that book at a thrift store last year and grabbed it specifically bc of the publish date (2012) . I’m 35 and wanted to read something discussing the issue prior to influencers and social media. I’m almost done with it it’s been great
So look at clothes and ask myself “will I like this for ten years and will it last 10 years.” I have tee shirts I bought from the Gap 10 years ago that I still wear and a cute chiffon blouse in a classic cut and color that I’ve had 15+ years and my favorite skirt is now fashionably vintage is from the 1980s. I still have these clothes because I take care of them. Taking care of something you already have is something that wasn’t addressed in your video.
Ronda S that’s another topic. Problem is that a lot new clothes are low quality and it’s becoming a culture of throw away, Especially e-commerce. You have Romwe, Rue21, Torrid, etc. are basically selling clothes for even cheaper prices then thrift stores. It’s becoming very Fashion and trendy and not quality driven.
Good tip. I am trying to educate myself to buy rarely and quality, so those questions you are asking yourself (will I wear it in 10 years) are helpful.
Its weird to think that sometjing made today will never be "vintage", mostly because it will never last. Everything is so badly made they don't last very long anymore.
Exactly what My thought process is. If it's not going to last, I might as well rent it lol. But I think it's important for people to have the choice of evilving their style, we can't all be wearing uniforms
Luke 12:15 English Standard Version 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
I grew up wearing mostly thrifted and handmade clothes. As an adult I still wear mostly thrifted and handmade clothing. Good for my budget and good for the environment. In the last couple of years I have started donating fewer clothes. Instead I hang onto anything that still has nice fabric for cutting up and using as material for future projects. I used my daughter's outgrown shirt and a curtain to make a new pinafore dress for her. I cut up my old maternity shirts and made new leggings for my other daughter. New clothes for them at no cost to me and kept those out of the waste cycle.
depends in which thrift shop you go. we both have one that has a simple top for 40 bucks because vintage is fashionable and the next one only 200 meters away has every piece for 1-5 bucks and sometimes there are also designer pieces there.
I came up with my perfect solution! I use my old clothes for dusting, mopping, scrubbing and much more until the fabric totally falls apart and cannot be used anymore
Yes exactly! if its unwearable with stains, rips, etc, old clothes works a treat. An old shirt works so much better than those disposable clean up wipes. ;) If they have a pretty print they can be used as trimming, tin liners, moving fragile stuff. =)
I Will not donate my old clothes to these big corporations. For what.? So they can give me a $5 coupon to spend more money on their clothes and so they can get richer? No thank you
Dude the world revolves around making money. Anyone working is a slave for someone else, even if u own your own business you paying someone else for the products and items so there getting richer.
Whether they are making money or not, it is still better for the environment for you to donate. If you simply will not donate to a second-hand store, then give your items away to friends, family or strangers for free.
Sooo this is why my mum keeps telling me like 'you have to know the brand, make sure they last long enough so that you won't buy the same thing every 3 to 5 years. It doesn't matter if it's expensive. You're buying quality, not quantity' so here i am, still wearing my pajamas from 6 years ago but unfortunately my shoes couldn't last that long coz my feet are growing quite fast😄
My father is the same, but my mom likes to buy things all the time she won't buy something if it's expensive...When i was a child and shopping with my dad he would always tell me to choose something that will last for a long time
I wear my clothing to shreds because I only buy myself clothing every couple years, and everything else is generic tshirts I get from my older brothers or from events. I get a pack of socks and underwear a year and everything else should last me for at least a few years if you get the good stuff. When learning budgeting, I was told to make a "clothing" budget, and I thought that was ridiculous. If i need to save 50$ a month for clothing, I have a problem. The only issue is that it's really hard to find good jeans that aren't elastic based and are durable for a long period of time, but also fit nice as I am a female. I have found that I get more holes in my clothing because of how its designed. I still wear things to shreds, but they do fall apart faster.
Your mom is right, I think it is smart to buy things that will last longer. But people who cannot afford expensive clothing like me will opt for the cheap fast fashion. I still try to use the items as much as I can. I have bought from thrift stores before, but recently I have noticed that thrift store prices are higher than clothing stores and it is the same fast fashion clothing that are donated. So, I would go for the new ones of the same quality item than buying them used.
That's why I wear black, grey and white, classic and essential items that match with everything. Nothing trendy that won't go out of style e.g jeans, white, grey, black tops, couple of blouses, lbd etc..
Rather than seeing stores that sell clothes, I'd love to see stores that offer alterations/modifications on your favorite shirt/jeans or shoes. This service type has not been marketed a lot but I think that world needs less waste and this will create jobs for designers, seamstress and I hope the stores would offer it at a cheaper price? I hope more people that could watch this!
I'd love this :) Even if I shop at places like Zara and H&M, I still buy styles that I'd like to keep wearing for years to come. So it'd be good to be able to get them fixed up.
Just about any dry cleaner's will do alterations and repairs, but it's usually far more expensive than today's cheap clothes. Although, in my experience, anything that has started to develop holes - clothes or shoes - is beyond saving, even good quality things. Wear damage is a sign that the fabric has had enough, but if you snag on something or pop a button it's worth fixing things up. If you just want to modify you're clothes, why are you buying clothes you don't like that much to start with?
Understand that Goodwill still has to invest money into all the select items that are put on racks, and that it isn't as cheap as you'd want them to be unless they're unethical. I know for a fact that when my mom still worked at Goodwill, she was on her feet all day long. There's the trashing, the washing, the drying, the sorting, and the utilities that go on just to have people be paid minimum wage. Devote your money to things that aren't necessarily name-brand items and look for sales. I know that at my local Goodwills (this may vary depending on location), they have half-off sales based on tag number and some days when the entire store goes on sale. Good luck with clothes hunting, though.I know that smaller resale chains and garage sales are always a plus.
These items doesn't usually end up in landfills in the Philippines. Yes, we get them too and sold them for a $1 or so, but the ones that can't be used ends up recycled as: bags, rugs, potholders etc. There was a woman who even started a company out of it.
My family and I always buy in thrift stores, unless we can't find it there or it's a specific clothing we need. It's always fun to thrift. There's so much variety and most clothes are quite of high quality. If our clothes get ripped beyond repair, we use it as rags.
I think the answer is not to buy less clothes or donate your old clothes. I think the lesson is to buy quality garments even if they are more expensive because at the end of the day you wouldn’t want to throw away a 70 dollar t-shirt. So buy less clothes with good quality and that way you won’t have to donate more because the “needy” countries don’t want your clothes they have enough of them.
My goodness!! I recycle our clothes into all different things. Blankets, curtains, scarfs, table clothes. Even use recycled things for a friend's wedding. It was so beautiful. Her wedding dress was from a used prom dress. The whole wedding others donated. No, I am not a designer or famous, just helping someone that had no money. We can all do a lot to help others.
So let me get this straight, not only they sell clothes that are DONATED by people, they also sell it to developing countries because they don't want the unsellable clothes to end up on their landfill so it'll end up on other countries landfill?
@@Petra44YT many years? These are the unsellable clothes that they buy, the one that's already worn out or damaged in any way. Do you seriously think it'll last for years? Besides, they still end up in their landfill even if it's sold and worn by someone in those countries. You watch the video, bags of the unsellable of the unsellable, their own garbage plus the garbage from Canada. In Canada these clothes can be turned into something else, in other countries that don't have the facility, they burn their garbage. The point of this video is not just about the journey of your clothes after you donate them, it's about pollution.
I don't think "we" ever will. Not with the idea of Star Trek, Star Wars and the like... I think most of the world believes we'll find another planet or we'll die and not have to deal with problems anyways.
Most don't care, as their only value is money. Companies want to create as much money, as they can. And people want to valued by their looks, not their achievements, so they are buying stuff to look trendy.
The meat of the video starts at 14:00. Here in a third world country, there is too much of these already! These clothes are being sold for less than a dollar! Not only clothes, bags, shoes, hats, small electronics. This happens when there is much wealth in a country for cheap, abundant products such as food or clothing. There is no solution unless the buying stops.
It's also society's fault because of all the "rules" that one has to follow, in order to be accepted. Minor stains, holes, etc. are all unacceptable on formal attire so all those textiles are trashed. It's also sad to see that many of us lack creativity. We should take apart unwanted items & develop new shoes, under garments, etc. Instead of spending hours scrolling through social media, let's use that time to help the Earth by recycling & help our minds by enhancing our creativity! 🙏🌎
People (and I include myself in this) also need to learn basic sewing skills: sewing on buttons, fixing torn stitches. Whatever happened to patching clothes?
This is why I only buy items made from cotton, wool, linen, silk or tencel. Not only do they breathe while you’re wearing them. But they also biodegrade. I hate nylon or polyester...I called it plastic clothing. I can’t stand putting it against my skin and it’s so bad for the environment.
I mean at least if it is certain accessories (like bags) that you just buy that are made of that material last pretty long. And you can always recycle them (even clothes) instead of straight up throwing them away or you could donate....;-;
I have moved to buying clothing made from natural fibers as well. I buy cotton, linen, and even wool. I try to buy 100% organic cotton. My dress shirts for work are 100% linen.
In my country we have Thrift Stores that sell clothes for max 1$ the day they get "new" merchendise, then the second day everything they couldnt sell the first day only costs 75 cents, the third day 50 cents, and on the forth for 25 cents. This way they are sure that every week their stores are emptyed out so the next week they can stock their shop again. I just bought 6 small pillows for 1,5$. Btw this is in Romania.
We have something similar in the Philippines. Thrift stores go on sale every week. But not everything gets sold. They replace their stocks almost every month.
I can defiantly say that I don't buy to many clothes. I live barley above the poverty line. I don't have money to spend on new clothes. For years my friend would invite me over and she would give me her hand me downs. Sadly she passed away last August. Months latter her mom invited me over to pick out any clothes that I wanted. I ended up with 3 trash bags full. Honestly I only pulled out like 5 things from the bags to wear. I just want this last final gift from her to last forever. The clothes in the bags still smell like her. I just don't want to let that smell go just yet. So my plan is wear what I already pulled out. When they wear out then I will pick out a few more things from the bags. She had a very timeless fashion style. So nothing will go out of style before I start to use it.
They need to create a new occupation: a clothing refurbished or whatever. A whole bunch of very creative people who can mix and match different textiles to create something unique new and wearable that can be sold. Unless technology hurried up and improves
I was thinking the same. Like a clothing refurbished store line. If it's just one shop, or one seamstress, yes it would be too expensive, but if it's something more bigger, like a company, more stores, like a thrift store kind of line, it might be more doable. There has to be something done with those clothes, and textiles, and it's both wasteful as just a shame. Especially if you see the quality of the textile materials, I now realize how good the materials were just a decade ago, especially longer ago (I got my dad's pants that he bought in the '90, and I wore it down till 2012), what a shame it is it's not used again, just dumped, basically. Plus, then everyone can say they do own an unique item. Edit: I just realized there is a secondhand store in my city that kind of does that. They do sell 'normal' secondhand clothes, but in the back is a workplace where they fix and remodel/refurbish clothes. Those are a bit more expensive, but not much.
They could give it to universities, colleges and high schools with art, fashion and drama departments as they will use the textiles and re make it and are generally needing old garments
Danny Rodriguez though it could be argued that clothes that don’t last anyhow like underwear socks and plain tees can be bought there as the lowest common denominator can afford the high quality stuff
I buy second hand high quality but the problem with the majority of people is that even though it is good quality, they will still tire of it eventually to upkeep a selfish need for image. So what is killing our planet ultimately is EGO. People care too much about impressing others out of insecurity and in their selfishness just want to improve their social and sexual status. That is the crux of all this. But they will never be happy as you will be forever dissatisfied. Learn to fight the power of advertising, buy second hand and rebel the system!
Serious SpaceParty best of luck finding tights/pantyhose in natural fibres. Coats, anything stretchy or shiny is probably not natural. Can you *honestly* say all of your clothes, bedding, curtains etc are made from natural fibres?
Something I didn't hear her mention that I think is super worth considering is how you care for your clothes. Even our cheap/fast fashion clothes will last 10x longer if we don't over wash them and if we rarely put them in the dryer. They can also be washed in cold water most of the time which also saves on wear and tare. These two appliances break down our clothes a LOT faster. I have begun hanging almost all my clothes to dry and I have had to replace things much slower. My clothes don't fade so fast and don't shrink or stretch nearly as much either. One way to freshen clothes without immediately washing them is to hang them outside in the sunshine. Sun kills bacteria and a fresh breeze leaves lightly soiled clothes smelling fresh again.
I think baby clothes are a waste. You don't need to be buying so much items when they're literally changing size 3 weeks time. They be buying more clothes than they're are days in a year. Invest when ur old and when u won't change shape till ur like 50.
@@virylixyusinthehouse3694 you can swap, babies change sizes so fast that the clothes are mostly good and new. you can join a group with other parents and swap clothes and maybe even toys too, thats what they do where i live
I agree. When I was a baby through the age 8 or so my mom dressed me in adult t-shirts and diapers (baby) or pants. Seriously most if not all of my baby/kid pictures im in baggy adult t-shirts. It didn't bother me when I was little but when my friends look at my old pictures they pity me and ask why my mom dressed me like that. But I loved wearing baggy shirts as a kid cause I was hyper and loved to play outside.
Thank you, CBC for doing such thorough research and putting it on display for the world to see. I am a fashion student who has made her own clothing for years. I am currently starting a brand that will ultimately take old donated and thrown away clothes which will be cut up, altered, or otherwise redesigned to create custom new fashionable items that can be sold on the fashion stage. My aim is to take these stories, learn from them and hopefully make a change that will impact the fashion world over time. I hope to make problems like these better by raising awareness and changing the culture in fashion.
I cut up the clothes that are too old or worn to donate and use them as rags. I prefer these rags over buying industrial strength paper towels or some such.
I've just chopped up old clothes for a young neighbour who's broke but was buying wipes. She's got a flash washing machine so she can use the cut up old clothes as wipes and when they're dirty, chuck them into the washing machine. I told her how in the old days we'd hang things out in the rain to rinse them and in the sun which sterilizes them. After time on the line, the rags will be ready to be used again and she'll save the $25 per month she was spending on wipes. Maybe people need to go back to the old ways when everything was used, re-used and re-used again until all that was left were a few of the threads of the original garments.
I'm sure others have already commented this, but one option is to learn basic sewing skills so you can keep fixing/upcycling your old clothing. For people who have funds to spend on a lot of fast fashion, maybe slow down on the purchases and use that money to invest in a sewing machine and sewing materials instead. I myself am guilty of buying fast fashion, but I haven't thrown away a single garment of clothing for the past 12 years. I've been sewing since I was in high school and have continually taken apart and resewn all my old clothes into modern trendy attire each year. I'm wearing a peplum style shirt right now that is made from three different fast fashion tops from 2006-2007. So while I do splurge on fast fashion brands, everything I buy often ends up assimilated into completely new articles of clothing a few years later. Anything that gets too worn out to be wearable gets turned into household rags or built into seat cushions, headboards, costume props, etc. Hell, if anyone reading this has old clothes they don't want anymore, instead of dumping them at Goodwill, just send them to me because I'll find a way to use them, lol.
Maybe you could start a YT channel about your recycling projects, and how you turn your tops into new tops etc? People like me, who are not naturally crafty, or imaginative about repurposing could be inspired.
Likewise. I'm retired now and have been sewing since I was 7. I even scour the second hand stores for clothes way bigger than my size that can be cut up and made into something for me. It's actually quite fun to re-make, re-model, re-vamp and be creative with old clothes, sheets, towels, pillow cases and the rest. As far as sewing new clothes, mew material is horrendously expensive. I haven't tried it yet but am planning to keep an eye out for old duvet covers. There's quite a bit of material in one duvet cover, enough to make a dress ........
@@loryndabenson5840 Re-vamping old clothes into something new is just what we did in the old days so it never occurred to me to post pictures of re-purposed clothes online. Perhaps I should .....
Reject fast fashion and fleeting fads- we should dress as our ancestors did- in versatile, easy to modify pieces that stand the test of time. Avoid unnatural fabrics when you can and think before you buy something.
After giving away all of your old clothes you probably spent a lot of money on, you get a $5 discount if you SPEND $30 or more at the store. And customers think that's a good deal?? Why should I have to spend $30, just give me my discount. So not only am I giving my old clothes to the store but they are making me spend money to get any benefits. Wake up people, this is scam! Screw you H&M.
Why do second hand stores such as Value Village and Salvation Army charge so much for their used clothes? I usually buy used clothing, but it angers me that they are selling used jeans at $10 to $15 dollars when they can't even sell most of the donated clothes.
Sara G Since they do charge so much. I try my best to find people who need the clothes before donating them. In my opinion that should sell everything under $5..ijs
Sara G I think they already answered in the video. If thrift story sell old clothes for really cheap, this will destroy textile industry just like those Africa country.
I don’t know where you shop, maybe it’s because my city has a really low cost of living, but almost all of the jeans at all our Salvation Army etc are 5 bucks. Even at the Good Wills my dude
There is overhead, such as a building, employees, and bookkeeping. Who do you think sorts them, repairs them and cleans them. It is a good thing there is a minimum wage so the people who work there at least get a wage!
I live in a small country where we know who is less fortunate, so we either give shrunk clothes to siblings or relatives with smaller children, or charity. And the ones that are in too bad a condition, we cut up and use as rags for cleaning 🧼.
Half of my closet is used. I only have two rules - I will NOT buy used underwear and only gently used shoes... I also have a great idea- how about clothing swaps. People meet once a month and people who are the same sizes form groups and switch up clothes!!! (*like a clothing library)!!!
I buy maybe 10 new clothing items a year and I've always sold my old stuff to consignment stores or given them to friends..I'm glad I've never fallen into that cycle of buying buying buying. It's heartbreaking to see how the world really works.
bless antoine I have given mine to homeless shelters as well as to the YWCA emergency shelter for women. From what I had watched I will continue to take them to those places
Annette Melnychuk ... good, but not good enough..were you not watching? All that wearhouse is full of donation clothes.. just don't buy new ones and if you need to buy, get it from goodwill or the store you donate your clothes to... like an exchange. There are also website to exchange clothes or rent for special occasions. Minimize your consumption. Plus buy 100% cotton fabrics.
bless antoine I haven’t bought a single new clothing item in 4 years. Lol I’m getting a little too big for my current clothes 😬 it might be time to get something new
I have relatives that go shopping every time there's a sale, as a result, they're often donating clothing with the tags still on. I make sure to buy fabrics that can last for ten or more years and have lately begun using dye to restore clothes with stains.
That isn't the answer as their purpose is to be worn but if the people who could be wearing those items from used clothing stores or thrift stores will have to buy something else. It's much better of an idea to buy currently vintage items as they will be worth something or even more in 40 years, and they are less likely to be sought after by average thrift store users only by resellers, collectors, or vintage lifestyle hobbyists.
we make Rag Rugs from old clothes.The textiles live on for a few more years as a functional rug on my floor somewhere in my home. It was how they used old clothes back in the 1800s.
You can't "buy less" bc the quality of the "fast fashion" clothing is so poor that a couple of washes and it's all over. I still have clothing -- pants, blouses, sweaters, tops -- from 30-40 years ago that can still be worn and washed! Good luck finding clothing that will last today. If you can tell me where to find good quality clothing that will last years, please share! The clothes just disintegrate today.
I have a few pieces of clothing from Banana Republic that I found in thrift stores that are very good quality. I washed them many times and they still look new. They're about 10 years old so I don't know about the brand quality now. Hope it hasn't gone down at least too much
king james488 I same here. Walmart may sick for small businesses but it lasts. Or folks can make your own high quality clothes it's a really fun mother daughter project
jayheh you are certainly better than a lot of people. However, you can do much better than that. I.e: before buying something make sure you really need it and don’t have a replacement for it in your closet, and that you don’t want to buy it just so you can fulfill your urge to buy. Also, try swapping an old clothing item with a friend that wants to give away an item you feel like you need. If this is still not enough for you look it up in thrift stores or second hand stores. If you still need something that you can’t find in any of the mentioned above try ethical clothing brands and environmentally friendly textiles that are fair trade and stuff like that.
Also it is not only about fashion. There are many ways to save the world from climate change, like changing your diet, transportation, energy and water saving, and more.
I remember my mom coming home with bags and bags of clothes from garage sales and thrift stores. It's all we wore growing up. Quite grateful for it after watching this!
I haven't bought new clothes since 2 and half years coz my old ones are still good and didn't feel it like a necessity.. seeing this makes me feel good about myself and makes me wanna continue.. hope more people would stop getting into fast fashion
Yeah, even in a world where you can look up, "How to Stich Up Clothes" people don't do it. Trends and consumerism are going to destroy the world. Then you got the lucky few who won't buy to a crazy fashion sense.
‘The True Cost’ is an amazing documentary that really opened my eyes to the reality of fast fashion. It’s definitely something I’m never gonna forget, and something I’d recommend to everyone.
I used to ask friends for their "trash" clothes to use for our guinea pig cage. It saved us money on bedding, and got more use out of clothes that would otherwise end up in a landfill. I've also crafted old tshirts into cute shag rugs. ALWAYS ask around if others can use them before throwing them away!
Africa not only ke ya. Those are in every country in africa. So imagine, they make money nit only on Africans bit also on the people that donate it. And il actually still end up arming the environment, the only pro for westerners is it is thousand of miles away.
Not only in kenya... other developing countries as well... just like us here in philippines but idk if it is illegal or legal... since our law says it is illegal but the shops that sells used clothing from other countries are too rampant in here that it is too noticeable to the public eye and business owners of these stores are making money from supposed to be donations... we call our thrift stores here "ukay-ukay"... Edited because of wrong use of words and grammar is quite off
This is truly an amazing video. Thank you for educating people on fast fashion. It is heartbreaking to see this happening in Kenya and polluting their environment
More people need to see this video. It is devastating to see how this type of lifestyle is doing to our planet and environment. It is scacry to think what our world would be like in ten years.
The price is low by design. No one would buy a little radio for 25 dollars when they can buy it for 5 dollars only. Include to that VAT, a payroll for people selling or advertising it - and any other cost related to this item. Price is underpriced, just because we can more likely buy it, but we pay that cost elsewhere. Our planet earth is losing resources, someone needs to "recycle" it overseas, and I am not even talking about people overworking on these item in China or somewhere for low price losing their health and free time.
This is why limited content of synthetics in fiber is so important. Natural fibers are look better, more comfortable to wear and they recycling easily without any hazard.
This video has been so informative and educational. I feel even more happy now that I taught myself to sew as a teenager and improved my skills over the years. I now purchase quality fabric and materials and make most of my own clothes using the best techniques. I feel good that the clothes look and feel better than so many items in stores; are just as stylish and trendy and they last longer. This however, may not be for everyone.
I'm from the Philippines, and I can attest to this. I grew up thrift shopping with my Mom, and I've been told since I was a child, that all of the clothes in the thrift store were actually donations that importers profit out of. Usually, going thrift shopping is cheaper than buying brand new clothes, and you can haggle, too. But I agree with the claim that there are too many useless low-quality clothes that will only get junked. I see them in thrift stores all the time. And these thrift stores pride themselves in selling New items every week, even though their stores are still overflowing with unsold goods.
As a Fashion design student I find this documentary about the broken fashion industry perfectly done. All aspects of the wrong doings of the system were pointed out and there was nothing missing in information! I wished that the reporter would have an good conclusion how this system can be changed and this would be political bans and heavy restrictions on the textile industry. Why can we have these restrictions in the automotive, health, food and energy industry but for gods sake not on the textile industry! We need international laws/agreements done by politics not by companies. Companies can only change 10% laws and restrictions can make them force to change 80%! The consumer also can‘t change enough the textile industry! There is so much green washing going on it is insane! Labels won‘t give clarity to the consumer to buy „green cloths“. They only guarantee that the clothing has a certain quality or meet certain producing quality. But never these labels secure that the clothing is „ecological clean“.
I'm too broke to shop in H&M, Zara, Levi's, lol! I wish. I bought a pair of $7 walmart pants and they're one of 2 I've been wearing going on 2 years now.
My best second hand coat is Canadian. It was a bit expensive to be second hand, but oh well, I bought it on the time were here in my country "vintage" was "trendy" so the big importers of bins obviously started to separate themselves the "cool" clothes in good condition and put stores with cool look to sell the items as more expensive (when in the past, you could be searching all Saturday morning and find the same treasures for a third of the price). Well, I just saw this red, tartan like coat, fully lined, all their zippers working, no pieces missing, no damage, fit me perfectly, I was still in Uni and had a part time job, but I needed a coat and bought it. That was like more than 10 years ago. I still own and love my made in Canada second hand coat. Now, the only H&M item I own is a short sleeved tartan shirt my mum got me from the neighbourhood's market, from a lady who sells second hand clothes very cheap. Obviously my mum didn't knew the label. Unfortunately, it is made in Bangladesh, I don't buy anything from there because of the Rana Plaza tragedy, but I already have it, so I wear it, in memory of the workers.
white women . they alone are frying this planet. too much peroxide, too much sillicon , too much gel, too many leathers clothes and bags and huge consumption of meat.
All westernised women shopping at H&M, Primark, New Look etc. Check all the hauls on UA-cam, they only need to spend £50 on 10 items to feel rich. These stores are always busy.
Having to have a different outfit for every day is part of the problem as well. I have a capsule wardrobe (narrow types of items/deep in inventory) and I actually mend and maintain things.
i worked at value village. the clothes got bailed and some went in landfill for sure. however, all the merch that gets taken off shelf for new stock to go on gets thrown in the garbage. crystal, picture frames, knick knacks, mugs plates everything. the stuff value village throws away in ONE day in a city of 65000 people can EASILY stock 2 businesses with product. that's just the garbage they throw away that they say they don't throw away. lol.
Does it matter? You were donating those clothes because you were done with them, and you would have gotten rid of them no matter what was being done with them.
A lot of times i would donate even new items thinking someone worse off than me would benefit. I also spent gas and took off time to drive to donation locations. Why would i do this if i could have thrown it out myself? The sad thing is if you look at some of the dumpster diving videos on youtube behind thrift stores there's better stuff in their dumpsters than in their store inventory.
James F It's really great that we hope our clothing is going to someone who needs it, but in the end we're just getting rid of it. We have no idea what will become of that bag of clothing once it leaves our hands. It can either be thrown in the landfill by the charity shop, or stocked and bought by someone who needs it (yay) just to be thrown away by them in the end when they can no longer use it (ugh). So what is even the solution? I have no idea. Minimalism+buying secondhand in the first place so as not to contribute to overproduction of new clothing, but I feel like in the end of all ends everything will just go to the landfill eventually.
I work for an online thrift company where people can sell their clothes, and it's incredible to see how many clothes simply exist. Kids clothes are some of the best items to buy thrifted, since kids grow up so quickly, and my job won't accept 0-12 months clothing that is stained, faded, torn or looks old. So basically brand new. We even get a lot of clothing that has original tags from the shop the customer bought it from. There's a lot of brands: I see mainly Ann Taylor Loft, H&M, Zara, J.Crew, Nike, Adidas, and Banana Republic, though I've also handled designer garments like Versace, Giorgio Armani, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, and I've packed Louboutin heels on two occasions. The only complaint that I have is that we don't wash the clothes before shipping them out! I think that's a little gross, but my company is focused on being environmentally friendly, so it'd be a waste of a lot of water to have to wash everything before it goes out, and the customer is gonna wash it themselves anyway. Sometimes it's hard to be motivated in my job, as they pressure you a lot to keep your numbers high, but this video reminded me why they're doing this in the first place, and I think it's a great thing for the planet.
They don't need to wash them, but they should do steam sterilization/use an autoclave oven. This will make them safe and then the customers can actually wash them.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Check the marketplace website for more tips on what do with your old clothes here:
www.cbc.ca/marketplace/blog/want-help-on-what-to-do-with-your-old-clothes ^nr
Environment conscious fashion engineers can use biodegradable products example polypropylene non woven fabric and in the label print this clothing will naturally biodegrade in 5 years' time. Or this clothing will naturally biodegrade. This needs scientific research. For the so called fast fashion. And another one is to have a fashion catwalk using recycle products; genuinely taken from what is thrown.
@@Schocam the problem is, biodegradable materials come from plants. It will take a lot of arable land and forest to make up for the demand of materials. These plants will need vast amount of water supply that could drain most of the ground waters. These negative effects is what's exactly happening in Malaysia, they're planting lots of palm trees, extracting oil as alternative to fossil fuels and exported to Europe.
CBC News hornbill festival Nagaland
Why not just sell the old underwear in the mail for 10$/ each (+ 2.99$ for shipping & handling, very important to cover the incurred cost and keep the profit margin high) for guys with issues who need them, it's a good side hustle instead of just giving it away just like that!
There are alot of DIY projects that you can transform old clothing into new items such as dog toys, make a blanket, ect..
we used to pass it on to our families and relatives ....
The good old days
Most of my clothes were hand me downs.
My dad gave me hoodies and shirts he had never worn, they are still stylish today 😳
I get donations from people and we give them directly to the homeless. They are happy to get new/different stuff and it doesn't get thrown away.
I still do haha
This series is eye-opening, I cried when I saw all that clothing on the streets of Kenya. Plus, this reminded me of my great-grandmother's wedding dress, which years later was redesigned to be my grandmother's prom dress, the rest of the fabric the seamstress made handkerchiefs for my grandfather. Years later the same dress was redesigned and my mom used it for her wedding. Last week my sister wore the same dress to her academic award ceremony. After grandpa died, the handkerchiefs were given to my dad. (They still look brand new). Perhaps, if more people could reuse and redesign their clothing and hand it down the world and people would feel proud.
It'd be cool if some people were able to use the fabric from unwanted clothes to make blankets and tents for the homeless. Can even use some as cloth diapers. I know the military takes old clothes to use for rags but they can definitely be reused more than what they're getting
The Raccoon what are you trying to say? I dont get it? St about Africans n breaking into the cotton industry . . . 😨
The issue is that most clothing is no longer made from durable, good quality fabrics. Items that will last years and years are difficult to find, even if you have the money to spend. Over the last two years I've tried to cut out fast fashion from my wardrobe but have been dismayed to find that even clothing stores that claim to be sustainable and craft quality items to last very often have bad designs and lacklustre fabrics, and use the "sustainable" title to draw in customers who don't know any better. of course thrifting is a great option, but it doesn't work for everything. The other option is buying very high end designer items, but I can't afford that, even at used prices.
That is lovely!
I agree. Another thing is to create pet toys that can be donated to animal shelters. Also we can make blankets with old clothing.
People really be out there buying clothing like washing machines don't exist
That’s because the clothes they buy don’t survive the washing machine 🙈
Everyyoueverymiau I hand wash, they last longer.
I guess some people are like that. I hate buying clothes. I ran into the issue last year I didn't have any decent winter clothing to visit family for Christmas. I ended up in a ratty sweater and shivering in T-shirts most of the time. That reminds me, it's Nov. I need to buy at least one sweater. I wonder if the Goodwills are open?
@@mcaskey358 Probably...
TRUE
I haven't bought any new clothes in close to a year now. Trying to buy second hand as much as I can (exept underware). Better for my wallet, better for my environment.
u mean underwear
Thrift shopping you find cool vintage clothes and unique items. Honestly better than getting whatever everyone else has.
Sandra Isaksson exactly!! Thank you for doing good for the earth!! I'm doing the same as you
you buy at fretex?
Exactly my approach, Sandra!
Minimalism and frugality are the answer. Less consumption means less production and less waste.
+Nakidz : I'd say true, enough; but, it evidently is mostly up to consumers to learn and decide to live less wastefully. See my main and wholly separate comment further above, if interested. Waste makes haste and haste causes waste.
Exactly! Create a capsule wardrobe, with clothing that will last over the years and not go out of style instead of falling into the consumerist trap of “following trends”.
Nakidz I have bought 7 new clothes for the past 2 years. 2 were from a thrift shop, 3 were for friend's birthday gifts
Exactly.
I still have more clothes than I need but I buy them used, usually ebay or poshmark, and I have donated or sold a lot used. I try not to buy clothes in the store unless it is something I really need or will wear often. When I do buy used clothes I try to buy very high quality items that I know will be in high demand if I re-sell (like lululemon, athleta, etc). Also, before I donate anything I make sure that it is clean and repaired in such a way that you can't even tell it ever was stained or ripped. I am very good at getting out stains and yellowing using baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and clear dish soap combined. The key is to make anything you donate fully serviceable if it is to have any chance of being re-used. I do admit most of my clothes are synthetic, but synthetics last a lot longer whereas cotton gets faded fast and has to be thrown away soon. I also get a lot of 100% wool. I used to get moths ruining them sometimes but I learned to store each separately in large Ziploc storage bags, so now they are preserved well. Basically, we need to take the best care of what we have and try not to get more. My only new purchases this year were maternity clothes because my regular clothes do not fit now. But when I am done with the maternity clothes, I will auction them off on ebay as a lot to the next pregnant mama.
I'm 24 and I still wear the same clothes from when I was 16.
I am 24 and I still wear same clothes when I was 12 years old
@@ariadnafriski_ The clothes from when I was 12 are a bit too pink for me now😂
@@ariadnafriski_ did you not grow at all?
Wow cool
@@Abbymiller91992 I actually stopped growing at 12. I've been 165cm since
Wish they mentioned the harsh toxic chemicals in fast fashion clothing (absorbed by skin) & the horrible treatment of factory workers ✔️
Wish you knew it's the same for expensive brand clothes.
honeybdream that's worrying, what brands do you buy from then? Also is there a good source I can check out on this issue.
honeybdream exactly. I've watched those documentaries. cruel the way they lock workers in those stuffy room, deny them water,,make them work way over time and abuse them.
honeybdream they have many episodes about mistreatment of factory workers under the name of their other show : the fifth estate
Wish you knew you should wash clothes after buying them and before wearing them.
10:12
Lady: "At least they're trying?"
Old lady: *silent and judgmental pause complete with ice cold stare, then remembers it's always good to be nice on camera* Yes! 😄
So much truth in this comment. It’s hilarious
Had the exact same thought! Her expression was like "...riiight..."
77Zuriel77 I had to rewind. And yes you're absolutely right. That eyebrow raised all the way up.
Loved the ol' lady
Hi
Our parents still have clothes from when they were my age. The clothes you get now don’t even last a year.
If you buy quality they do
Marco M no
@@ToteSoldatin yes they do just choose it wisely
It's really hard to find the good clothing, especially if you want to get it in a store. I have not seen a good pair of jeans for females in quite a few years, and I've looked in most of the stores within a 2hour drive. Everything has elasticity to it, which means it stretches and doesn't make for the most comfortable secondhand experience, and it also can break/ tear easier than old jeans, and you can't just patch them.
I’ve had clothes last me years, even cheap fast fashion items. They key is to wash everything in cold water and hang to dry, only use the dryer on the gentle cycle (no heat). Your clothes will last years.
Message to Goodwill and Value Village: How about charging realistic prices for clothing so you have a higher turnover??? $15.99 for used jeans.....Come on!!! $8 for an old t-shirt?? There is lots of local demand for used clothing they just have to adjust their prices so everyone can afford them.
Carol Bei it's frustrating to donate as well. I used to donate to Goodwill and salvation army but the majority of what you donate ends up in the landfill, picked over by employees, and then priced so high the people who actually need it can't afford it. I have seen living room sets listed for half of retail. When you are truly in need, you can't afford a living room set at $400. There must be a better way.
Value Village charges insane prices for some of their stuff. I completely agree with your post, Carol. $60 for leather jackets? $30 for wool sweaters? please!!
Years ago, when i had no income, there have been times where i went in with the best intentions, but found myself having to steal pants from this store, because of their ridiculous pricing.
They have a system here where you donate and get a discount card for a percentage off. I frequently bring multiple bags of new or near new items and have to practically beg to get a measly 15% off . It's ridiculous. If they charged realistic prices they would not have to throw near that much away. The only reason so much goes to landfill is because of mismanagement. I've known people who dumpster dive behind second hand stores and find high demand items such as lego. They tell me there's better inventory out back than in store most days. These stores seriously need to get their act together.
Carol Bei I 100%agree. Thrift stores have their stock given to them, staff work for free and no rates to pay (here in uk) for charity shops, yet they still charge £££s when it should be pennies.
I know. I donate to Value Village only to see huge crates filled with the donations behind the plaza in the snow and rain! I found a small local thrift store that takes the donations, and as long as they are good, they put them on the rack right away.
I just deleted a bunch of clothes that i wanted to buy from my favorite online store.
Thanks for this informative video.
As a side note, my mother travels back to her country in the middle East each year, and she personally goes to underprivileged villages to donate the clothes, DIRECTLY to the families who are I need. They become so happy and are appreciative.
So I agree: If you personally know someone who is in NEED, donate to them directly.
But of course, the 1st step is not to allow capitalism to steal our money or ethics, in the 1st
Place.
Peace to all♡
That's what I've been doing with anything I nolonger use.
Donating to a shelter or food bank is also a way to get it into the hands of people who need clothes.
We donate directly to the homeless in our area.
Same here. I went online to read reviews about H&M brand before buying some clothes from their website, and 'fortunately' I landed on this UA-cam video. I realise that what we think is cheap is actually not cheap because they wear out and fade out after few uses. I have deleted my shopping bag, but I think a lot of work needs to be done in creating awareness because most people do not realise the implication of this devastating 'fast fashion' fad
Awesome
I hate going to the stores like Forever 21 or H&M and theres SOO much selection with cheap material it overwhelming for me, now when I pass it all i'll think about how much of those clothes are going to end up in landfill.
I definitely don't support those kinds of stores either. I rather go thrifting.
Also to add some people think they are too good to wear clothes someone else has worn or don’t like the idea someone has worn it. I mean when you go in stores to try clothing on a person has probably tried it on too.
Thank you!! Excellent point!
@@kimmyball4961it is an excellent point that I have not thought of.
That’s why you should always wash your clothes whether you buy it from the typical clothing store or from the thrift shop. This is why the washing machine was invented.
@@qazplm3845 The problem is you wash most clothes at 40 degrees. So you basically just give germs a warm bath. Germs and bacteria are killed only at 60, 90 degrees. So no thank you, I won't buy other people's clothes and I am OK with the ones that have only been tried on in a store. It's purely due to hygenic reasons. I don't have a lot of clothes and you can find a lot of 10 year old clothes in my closet, but I would never buy used clothes. What is wrong with keeping your own clothes for a few years instead of buying new stuff?
@@myopinion2day Whether your clothes are just store brought or decades old, you should still be washing your own clothes at high temperature. Because as you go about in daily life as there are bacteria everywhere and you could still get ones that you are dangerous to your health. And these are the kinds of things you don't want risk, even if you go out rarely go outside or live in a sparsely populated area. You can also use diluted bleach to kill bacteria, and that shouldn't remove too much colour. Whether it's from you or someone else's, nasty stuff will definitely be on it regardless. Therefore it isn't as unhygienic as it may seem to buy someone else's clothing if you just wash it well. So wash it well.
I don't think donors care where their clothes will go. They just want to get rid of them minus the guilt. Even if the retailers secretly threw them to the landfill, hey it's their responsibility now.
True! They need to make consumers aware of the problem and of the options we have, i Iive in a border city, my co-worker volunteers in an orphanage and nursing home in Mexico, I donate my clothes to her, she takes it to Mexico,.
Kate try learning some basic sewing techniques, it can save your clothes from being thrown away. Small holes and loose threads are easy to fix
I do care, for this reason I only donate broken clothes to H&M and the others I donate them or I try to sell them at a cheap price if they have a great value
I give my small clothes to some small kids I know, but I only give the clothes that are in good condition. I donate some of my clothes to charity
Yeah just to feel good total hypocrisy ...
As someone who works in a large chain thrift store, watching pieces like this just make me shake my head when people say they feel fine with donating clothes with holes or broken zippers or huge stains. Who will want to buy them? You just want your trash out of your house but don’t want the guilt of throwing it away yourself, so you give it to us to throw away for you so that you can feel good about donating.
If you have clothes of organic materials like 100% cotton, you may be able to compost them. You could cut a stained shirt into cleaning cloths. These days you can make cloth masks from old clothes that maybe a thrift store wouldn’t be able to sell.
Reduce your spending first, reuse the clothing as best you can, and recycle / donate whatever is fit for someone else to wear.
Also, love seeing Elizabeth Cline in videos like these. Her book “Overdressed” made a cameo here and is well worth the read.
in h&m stores you can donate clothes in any condition because they say that clothes that isnt in good shape will be recycled...
Yes!!! I just found that book at a thrift store last year and grabbed it specifically bc of the publish date (2012) . I’m 35 and wanted to read something discussing the issue prior to influencers and social media.
I’m almost done with it it’s been great
Yes, I cut some old clothing into rags, but it has to be an appropriate material. Some fabrics won’t absorb water very well.
Forever 21 is also a problem.
There are hundreds of brands who rely on fast fashion and underpaid labour. They just used H&M as an example.
the worst quality materials i have seen.
TRUE
And cotton
@@gacherimburugu4731 What do you mean 'and cotton'?
So look at clothes and ask myself “will I like this for ten years and will it last 10 years.” I have tee shirts I bought from the Gap 10 years ago that I still wear and a cute chiffon blouse in a classic cut and color that I’ve had 15+ years and my favorite skirt is now fashionably vintage is from the 1980s. I still have these clothes because I take care of them. Taking care of something you already have is something that wasn’t addressed in your video.
Ronda S that’s another topic. Problem is that a lot new clothes are low quality and it’s becoming a culture of throw away, Especially e-commerce. You have Romwe, Rue21, Torrid, etc. are basically selling clothes for even cheaper prices then thrift stores. It’s becoming very Fashion and trendy and not quality driven.
Good tip. I am trying to educate myself to buy rarely and quality, so those questions you are asking yourself (will I wear it in 10 years) are helpful.
I still have a pair of Swiss sneakers I bought in 2005. They are in such a good condition, its like they're ageless. Got them in Macy's.
Its weird to think that sometjing made today will never be "vintage", mostly because it will never last. Everything is so badly made they don't last very long anymore.
Exactly what My thought process is. If it's not going to last, I might as well rent it lol. But I think it's important for people to have the choice of evilving their style, we can't all be wearing uniforms
buy less clothes, but purchase higher quality well made items that are neutral colors and trendless that
you wont feel bad wearing again and again
While it still takes 12 years to recycle what retailers sell in 24 hours, there's no cure but to stop buying clothes for the sake of buying
or buy what you need, not what you what. if you have enough clothing to get through laundry day, then you don't need anymore.
@djohnson6528 so keep this on mind everytime you go shopping.
Luke 12:15
English Standard Version
15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
This is why being a minimalist is the best way to do so that we can’t contribute more to these piles.
Ems Roche the process of minimalism requires a lot of things to get donated or thrown away. But the effects of it after the process are good.
Nataly Martinez Except when you wear out all that you have one by one. Then there's no need to throw everything out.
Agree! I am a minimalist too.
Nataly Martinez Yeah donating or re selling is always better. Or even don't buy in the first place !
Yes, minimalism is key!
I grew up wearing mostly thrifted and handmade clothes. As an adult I still wear mostly thrifted and handmade clothing. Good for my budget and good for the environment. In the last couple of years I have started donating fewer clothes. Instead I hang onto anything that still has nice fabric for cutting up and using as material for future projects. I used my daughter's outgrown shirt and a curtain to make a new pinafore dress for her. I cut up my old maternity shirts and made new leggings for my other daughter. New clothes for them at no cost to me and kept those out of the waste cycle.
The solution is to make thrift shops clothes under $2... no one wants to pay $20 for a second hand
Yes, you are right. Thrift stores are pretty expensive, almost competing with discount stores like Ross.
Not if you go to places like the family outlet store. They sell clothes near me for .25-$2 depending on the day
depends in which thrift shop you go. we both have one that has a simple top for 40 bucks because vintage is fashionable and the next one only 200 meters away has every piece for 1-5 bucks and sometimes there are also designer pieces there.
Obviously, most of us don't have stores like that. I have a Goodwill with 80's clothes. All size 16 and up. All $5.00 and up. No thanks.
Daphney Cruz exactly
I came up with my perfect solution! I use my old clothes for dusting, mopping, scrubbing and much more until the fabric totally falls apart and cannot be used anymore
I use them to clean up oil every time I make oil change,clean my car and condo wood floor,bathroom !
Yes exactly! if its unwearable with stains, rips, etc, old clothes works a treat. An old shirt works so much better than those disposable clean up wipes. ;) If they have a pretty print they can be used as trimming, tin liners, moving fragile stuff. =)
wow great idea! thanks for this
We Indians alwys do dat😀
My mom used to always use her old clothes to mop the kitchen floor when i was a child lmao she would use dish soap too
“In the era of fast fashion there’s more unwanted clothes than people in need” Wow, that stroked me quite hardly.
I Will not donate my old clothes to these big corporations. For what.? So they can give me a $5 coupon to spend more money on their clothes and so they can get richer? No thank you
Dude the world revolves around making money. Anyone working is a slave for someone else, even if u own your own business you paying someone else for the products and items so there getting richer.
Angel Zamora it’s so backwards.
Ikr
Angel Zamora Recycling garbage and E-wastes go to Developing Countries as well
Whether they are making money or not, it is still better for the environment for you to donate. If you simply will not donate to a second-hand store, then give your items away to friends, family or strangers for free.
Sooo this is why my mum keeps telling me like 'you have to know the brand, make sure they last long enough so that you won't buy the same thing every 3 to 5 years. It doesn't matter if it's expensive. You're buying quality, not quantity' so here i am, still wearing my pajamas from 6 years ago but unfortunately my shoes couldn't last that long coz my feet are growing quite fast😄
My father is the same, but my mom likes to buy things all the time she won't buy something if it's expensive...When i was a child and shopping with my dad he would always tell me to choose something that will last for a long time
I wear my clothing to shreds because I only buy myself clothing every couple years, and everything else is generic tshirts I get from my older brothers or from events. I get a pack of socks and underwear a year and everything else should last me for at least a few years if you get the good stuff.
When learning budgeting, I was told to make a "clothing" budget, and I thought that was ridiculous. If i need to save 50$ a month for clothing, I have a problem. The only issue is that it's really hard to find good jeans that aren't elastic based and are durable for a long period of time, but also fit nice as I am a female. I have found that I get more holes in my clothing because of how its designed. I still wear things to shreds, but they do fall apart faster.
Thats what im trying to tell my mom
Your mom is right, I think it is smart to buy things that will last longer. But people who cannot afford expensive clothing like me will opt for the cheap fast fashion. I still try to use the items as much as I can. I have bought from thrift stores before, but recently I have noticed that thrift store prices are higher than clothing stores and it is the same fast fashion clothing that are donated. So, I would go for the new ones of the same quality item than buying them used.
🤣🤣🤣
Always thrift shopping! My favorite clothes are all from goodwill! The only thing I don’t thrift on is my undergarments for sanitary reasons
No one wants to use used undergarments obviously
Jofx who knows there’s freaky people out there! Haha 🤮🤮
How to dispose undergarments?
I agree with you.
Linen and hemp have anti-bacterial properties
That's why I wear black, grey and white, classic and essential items that match with everything. Nothing trendy that won't go out of style e.g jeans, white, grey, black tops, couple of blouses, lbd etc..
all things black are just classics , period
Same here, trends these days become outdated too quickly.
Some people enjoy color
I just buy what i like. I could care less if the color or style doesnt go with trends i will still wear it if i feel like it.
Agreed, can just accessorise.
Rather than seeing stores that sell clothes, I'd love to see stores that offer alterations/modifications on your favorite shirt/jeans or shoes. This service type has not been marketed a lot but I think that world needs less waste and this will create jobs for designers, seamstress and I hope the stores would offer it at a cheaper price? I hope more people that could watch this!
Hi
I'd love this :) Even if I shop at places like Zara and H&M, I still buy styles that I'd like to keep wearing for years to come. So it'd be good to be able to get them fixed up.
That's as close to novel that would actually stop the production as possible.
Just about any dry cleaner's will do alterations and repairs, but it's usually far more expensive than today's cheap clothes. Although, in my experience, anything that has started to develop holes - clothes or shoes - is beyond saving, even good quality things. Wear damage is a sign that the fabric has had enough, but if you snag on something or pop a button it's worth fixing things up. If you just want to modify you're clothes, why are you buying clothes you don't like that much to start with?
suppose you buy a pair of jeans that's 20 bucks and you need to alter them which is also 20 bucks... You go and return the jeans....
This documentary changed my life.
that's awesome! watch 'the true cost' next, it's really good and for free on youtube
Goodwill has to lower their prices until they can MOVE all that stuff out. There ARE people who can use it, but the prices are still too high.
Understand that Goodwill still has to invest money into all the select items that are put on racks, and that it isn't as cheap as you'd want them to be unless they're unethical. I know for a fact that when my mom still worked at Goodwill, she was on her feet all day long. There's the trashing, the washing, the drying, the sorting, and the utilities that go on just to have people be paid minimum wage. Devote your money to things that aren't necessarily name-brand items and look for sales. I know that at my local Goodwills (this may vary depending on location), they have half-off sales based on tag number and some days when the entire store goes on sale. Good luck with clothes hunting, though.I know that smaller resale chains and garage sales are always a plus.
Goodwill has dollar day on Thursday in California
These items doesn't usually end up in landfills in the Philippines. Yes, we get them too and sold them for a $1 or so, but the ones that can't be used ends up recycled as: bags, rugs, potholders etc. There was a woman who even started a company out of it.
Hey . What’s the name of the company the women started ??
Or they go to greenhills
ukay-ukay is the best
The problem there is overpopulation.
@@bbygrlpt2 true i am from ph too
My family and I always buy in thrift stores, unless we can't find it there or it's a specific clothing we need. It's always fun to thrift. There's so much variety and most clothes are quite of high quality. If our clothes get ripped beyond repair, we use it as rags.
I think the answer is not to buy less clothes or donate your old clothes. I think the lesson is to buy quality garments even if they are more expensive because at the end of the day you wouldn’t want to throw away a 70 dollar t-shirt. So buy less clothes with good quality and that way you won’t have to donate more because the “needy” countries don’t want your clothes they have enough of them.
Even inexpensive clothes are decent quality. Besides that not everyone has money to buy more expensive clothes.
Yes and more versatile timeless items aswell.
People criticize me for shopping at thrift stores when I want new clothing. This is why I do it, on top of the cost savings. Reuse, recycle.
they are too deep in their priviliged ass mindset
I know what you mean -_- My parents even call me, 'cheap' sometimes cause I'm the only one that likes to thrift shop lol
cynthiawaiting Show them this video!
Hey, you are saving the world :-) lead by example and keep doing great things!
I rather stay at thrift store
My goodness!! I recycle our clothes into all different things. Blankets, curtains, scarfs, table clothes. Even use recycled things for a friend's wedding. It was so beautiful. Her wedding dress was from a used prom dress. The whole wedding others donated. No, I am not a designer or famous, just helping someone that had no money. We can all do a lot to help others.
So let me get this straight, not only they sell clothes that are DONATED by people, they also sell it to developing countries because they don't want the unsellable clothes to end up on their landfill so it'll end up on other countries landfill?
It will be USED in these other countries for many years before it eventually ends up in a landfill.
@@Petra44YT many years? These are the unsellable clothes that they buy, the one that's already worn out or damaged in any way. Do you seriously think it'll last for years? Besides, they still end up in their landfill even if it's sold and worn by someone in those countries. You watch the video, bags of the unsellable of the unsellable, their own garbage plus the garbage from Canada. In Canada these clothes can be turned into something else, in other countries that don't have the facility, they burn their garbage. The point of this video is not just about the journey of your clothes after you donate them, it's about pollution.
used Fashion cloth do sell well in many country.
It’s disgusting, really. Couldn’t give a fuck about other countries so they dump that shit in countries they know can’t do anything about.
this is what pisses me off. why cant donated clothes be free? if i donate and someone is selling my stuff then give me the money for them lol
when are we going to realize we only got one planet
I always think about this literally it so worrying
I don't think "we" ever will. Not with the idea of Star Trek, Star Wars and the like... I think most of the world believes we'll find another planet or we'll die and not have to deal with problems anyways.
If the masses realized they’re being used for destructive and pure evil corporations and governments who own and run them in secret
Most don't care, as their only value is money. Companies want to create as much money, as they can. And people want to valued by their looks, not their achievements, so they are buying stuff to look trendy.
omg true asf
The meat of the video starts at 14:00. Here in a third world country, there is too much of these already! These clothes are being sold for less than a dollar! Not only clothes, bags, shoes, hats, small electronics.
This happens when there is much wealth in a country for cheap, abundant products such as food or clothing.
There is no solution unless the buying stops.
It's also society's fault because of all the "rules" that one has to follow, in order to be accepted. Minor stains, holes, etc. are all unacceptable on formal attire so all those textiles are trashed. It's also sad to see that many of us lack creativity. We should take apart unwanted items & develop new shoes, under garments, etc. Instead of spending hours scrolling through social media, let's use that time to help the Earth by recycling & help our minds by enhancing our creativity! 🙏🌎
sennsir_ except that people also buy new clothing that looks worn or aged as well.
thank u for the idea
Up-cycling might help but recycling defo is not as good/green as you think it is. Its process consumes so much energy and also creates pollution too.
Can't wait to see you get started on your new creative approach to recycling clothes and shoes.
People (and I include myself in this) also need to learn basic sewing skills: sewing on buttons, fixing torn stitches. Whatever happened to patching clothes?
This is why I only buy items made from cotton, wool, linen, silk or tencel. Not only do they breathe while you’re wearing them. But they also biodegrade.
I hate nylon or polyester...I called it plastic clothing. I can’t stand putting it against my skin and it’s so bad for the environment.
Nylon and polyster can come from plastic bottom. I did like Prada nylon. It waterproof and silk like.
YESSS recently I’ve been get clothes that are made from natural materials
I mean at least if it is certain accessories (like bags) that you just buy that are made of that material last pretty long. And you can always recycle them (even clothes) instead of straight up throwing them away or you could donate....;-;
The reason nylon and polyester are added to other natural fibers is to strengthen them.
I have moved to buying clothing made from natural fibers as well. I buy cotton, linen, and even wool. I try to buy 100% organic cotton. My dress shirts for work are 100% linen.
Being poor actually made me wear clothes that are hand me downs and thrifted.
In my country we have Thrift Stores that sell clothes for max 1$ the day they get "new" merchendise, then the second day everything they couldnt sell the first day only costs 75 cents, the third day 50 cents, and on the forth for 25 cents. This way they are sure that every week their stores are emptyed out so the next week they can stock their shop again. I just bought 6 small pillows for 1,5$. Btw this is in Romania.
That is the way it SHOULD BE. WOW.
I hope it was that way in the USA but is not.
We have something similar in the Philippines. Thrift stores go on sale every week. But not everything gets sold. They replace their stocks almost every month.
In Canada thrift stores are almost as expensive as fast fashion retailers. I still thrift though.
I wish I had places like that in the US but thrift stores here cost more than a lot of places in the mall
I can defiantly say that I don't buy to many clothes. I live barley above the poverty line. I don't have money to spend on new clothes. For years my friend would invite me over and she would give me her hand me downs. Sadly she passed away last August. Months latter her mom invited me over to pick out any clothes that I wanted. I ended up with 3 trash bags full. Honestly I only pulled out like 5 things from the bags to wear. I just want this last final gift from her to last forever. The clothes in the bags still smell like her. I just don't want to let that smell go just yet. So my plan is wear what I already pulled out. When they wear out then I will pick out a few more things from the bags. She had a very timeless fashion style. So nothing will go out of style before I start to use it.
Amanda Walter Aawww, this is so sad 🙁 How adorable and touching though
"definitely" is what I think you meant, right?
@@loricaldwell3677 are you really on here critiquing someone's grammar?
Amanda, a very touching comment. I hope your memories give you some peace.
Don't buy new clothes!
I.E. I still wear things I was wearing 10 years ago.
I also actually still wear fast fashion from 10 years ago
Yes same for me :)
I can’t wear same tops for more then a yr I always stain them with sweat ek lol but other things yeah
I would if they were of a better quality :(
Everybody like new stuff
They need to create a new occupation: a clothing refurbished or whatever. A whole bunch of very creative people who can mix and match different textiles to create something unique new and wearable that can be sold. Unless technology hurried up and improves
They do have shop that recycle high quality cloth to new cloth. You just need to go clothing area. Not shopping mall.
Seamstress.
A lot of cleaners offer repair services.
I think thats called a seamstress
I was thinking the same. Like a clothing refurbished store line. If it's just one shop, or one seamstress, yes it would be too expensive, but if it's something more bigger, like a company, more stores, like a thrift store kind of line, it might be more doable. There has to be something done with those clothes, and textiles, and it's both wasteful as just a shame. Especially if you see the quality of the textile materials, I now realize how good the materials were just a decade ago, especially longer ago (I got my dad's pants that he bought in the '90, and I wore it down till 2012), what a shame it is it's not used again, just dumped, basically.
Plus, then everyone can say they do own an unique item.
Edit: I just realized there is a secondhand store in my city that kind of does that. They do sell 'normal' secondhand clothes, but in the back is a workplace where they fix and remodel/refurbish clothes. Those are a bit more expensive, but not much.
They could give it to universities, colleges and high schools with art, fashion and drama departments as they will use the textiles and re make it and are generally needing old garments
I'm really scared about this planet...
The PLANET will make it.
We might kill ourselves, tho..
mmmmmm
Nevena Tanaskovic ya just wrap em in a towel or something
*"People from Canada and America are a bit... huge"*
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Its so true tho 😂😂
Nic
No more fast fashion! Learn to buy high quality items that last!
Hear hear!
Exactly
Also, buying second hand whenever possible. We need to learn the joy of something being "new to you," not just new.
Danny Rodriguez though it could be argued that clothes that don’t last anyhow like underwear socks and plain tees can be bought there as the lowest common denominator can afford the high quality stuff
I buy second hand high quality but the problem with the majority of people is that even though it is good quality, they will still tire of it eventually to upkeep a selfish need for image. So what is killing our planet ultimately is EGO. People care too much about impressing others out of insecurity and in their selfishness just want to improve their social and sexual status. That is the crux of all this. But they will never be happy as you will be forever dissatisfied. Learn to fight the power of advertising, buy second hand and rebel the system!
Buy natural fibres.
Then after you are done with it...cut it up for rags.
No need to buy paper towels.
Serious SpaceParty best of luck finding tights/pantyhose in natural fibres. Coats, anything stretchy or shiny is probably not natural. Can you *honestly* say all of your clothes, bedding, curtains etc are made from natural fibres?
Very difficult today as lately all fast fashion make their clothes almost 90% from poliestere :( why? Why????
julie Nicholson
Wear pants
Good things Out there
You gotta get your clothes NOT from fast fashion. That's the point. Not that hard with the internet.
Good things Out there
Why?-- cuz polyester is cheap and people don't want to (or cant) pay more.
Something I didn't hear her mention that I think is super worth considering is how you care for your clothes. Even our cheap/fast fashion clothes will last 10x longer if we don't over wash them and if we rarely put them in the dryer. They can also be washed in cold water most of the time which also saves on wear and tare. These two appliances break down our clothes a LOT faster. I have begun hanging almost all my clothes to dry and I have had to replace things much slower. My clothes don't fade so fast and don't shrink or stretch nearly as much either. One way to freshen clothes without immediately washing them is to hang them outside in the sunshine. Sun kills bacteria and a fresh breeze leaves lightly soiled clothes smelling fresh again.
I think baby clothes are a waste. You don't need to be buying so much items when they're literally changing size 3 weeks time. They be buying more clothes than they're are days in a year. Invest when ur old and when u won't change shape till ur like 50.
I no longer give clothes for baby gifts. I now give diapers, wipes, and all that is needed.
J'von I totally agree with you.
But baby still needs clothes
@@virylixyusinthehouse3694 you can swap, babies change sizes so fast that the clothes are mostly good and new. you can join a group with other parents and swap clothes and maybe even toys too, thats what they do where i live
I agree. When I was a baby through the age 8 or so my mom dressed me in adult t-shirts and diapers (baby) or pants. Seriously most if not all of my baby/kid pictures im in baggy adult t-shirts. It didn't bother me when I was little but when my friends look at my old pictures they pity me and ask why my mom dressed me like that. But I loved wearing baggy shirts as a kid cause I was hyper and loved to play outside.
Thrifting is great for the environment 🌎 Found a perfect authentic Gucci purse for 6$ 🌟
honeybdream no, it had to be FAKE there is no way you find a luxury hand bag for 6 dollars
honeybdream i use my shirts til they get holes. Then we cut them up into pieces and whip our asses with them
honeybdream same. I find almost new levis all the time. I just roll the legs up or sew cool stuff on them to keep up with trends. DIY is life. Lol
Alexandria awesomeness I thrift and DIY everything!!!!!
Awesome find!
Thank you, CBC for doing such thorough research and putting it on display for the world to see.
I am a fashion student who has made her own clothing for years. I am currently starting a brand that will ultimately take old donated and thrown away clothes which will be cut up, altered, or otherwise redesigned to create custom new fashionable items that can be sold on the fashion stage. My aim is to take these stories, learn from them and hopefully make a change that will impact the fashion world over time. I hope to make problems like these better by raising awareness and changing the culture in fashion.
what's the name of your brand?
I cut up the clothes that are too old or worn to donate and use them as rags. I prefer these rags over buying industrial strength paper towels or some such.
Change in taste is another problem. Sometimes you buy expensive and still don’t want/ like after. All influenced by newer styles on social media
My dad does this lol. My friends are always like ”Can I have a towel” *hands cut up t-shirt* ”Umm..”
My wife makes "potty rags" out of them.
I've just chopped up old clothes for a young neighbour who's broke but was buying wipes. She's got a flash washing machine so she can use the cut up old clothes as wipes and when they're dirty, chuck them into the washing machine. I told her how in the old days we'd hang things out in the rain to rinse them and in the sun which sterilizes them. After time on the line, the rags will be ready to be used again and she'll save the $25 per month she was spending on wipes. Maybe people need to go back to the old ways when everything was used, re-used and re-used again until all that was left were a few of the threads of the original garments.
@@BinoDist do you mean the paper ones? It blows my mind that people do that as it's just throwing money away lol
I'm sure others have already commented this, but one option is to learn basic sewing skills so you can keep fixing/upcycling your old clothing. For people who have funds to spend on a lot of fast fashion, maybe slow down on the purchases and use that money to invest in a sewing machine and sewing materials instead. I myself am guilty of buying fast fashion, but I haven't thrown away a single garment of clothing for the past 12 years. I've been sewing since I was in high school and have continually taken apart and resewn all my old clothes into modern trendy attire each year. I'm wearing a peplum style shirt right now that is made from three different fast fashion tops from 2006-2007. So while I do splurge on fast fashion brands, everything I buy often ends up assimilated into completely new articles of clothing a few years later. Anything that gets too worn out to be wearable gets turned into household rags or built into seat cushions, headboards, costume props, etc. Hell, if anyone reading this has old clothes they don't want anymore, instead of dumping them at Goodwill, just send them to me because I'll find a way to use them, lol.
Maybe you could start a YT channel about your recycling projects, and how you turn your tops into new tops etc? People like me, who are not naturally crafty, or imaginative about repurposing could be inspired.
Likewise. I'm retired now and have been sewing since I was 7. I even scour the second hand stores for clothes way bigger than my size that can be cut up and made into something for me. It's actually quite fun to re-make, re-model, re-vamp and be creative with old clothes, sheets, towels, pillow cases and the rest. As far as sewing new clothes, mew material is horrendously expensive. I haven't tried it yet but am planning to keep an eye out for old duvet covers. There's quite a bit of material in one duvet cover, enough to make a dress ........
That's awesome do you use insta or Facebook I'd love to see your repurposed clothes
@@loryndabenson5840 Re-vamping old clothes into something new is just what we did in the old days so it never occurred to me to post pictures of re-purposed clothes online. Perhaps I should .....
@@BinoDist yea that is a good idea. There is definitely a niche for it. Even on pinterest people like stuff like that
Reject fast fashion and fleeting fads- we should dress as our ancestors did- in versatile, easy to modify pieces that stand the test of time. Avoid unnatural fabrics when you can and think before you buy something.
After giving away all of your old clothes you probably spent a lot of money on, you get a $5 discount if you SPEND $30 or more at the store. And customers think that's a good deal?? Why should I have to spend $30, just give me my discount. So not only am I giving my old clothes to the store but they are making me spend money to get any benefits. Wake up people, this is scam! Screw you H&M.
But they SELL THEM TOO. WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE TO PROFIT OF US, THE POOR?
Why do second hand stores such as Value Village and Salvation Army charge so much for their used clothes? I usually buy used clothing, but it angers me that they are selling used jeans at $10 to $15 dollars when they can't even sell most of the donated clothes.
Sara G Since they do charge so much. I try my best to find people who need the clothes before donating them. In my opinion that should sell everything under $5..ijs
Sara G I think they already answered in the video. If thrift story sell old clothes for really cheap, this will destroy textile industry just like those Africa country.
THANK YOU.
I don’t know where you shop, maybe it’s because my city has a really low cost of living, but almost all of the jeans at all our Salvation Army etc are 5 bucks. Even at the Good Wills my dude
There is overhead, such as a building, employees, and bookkeeping. Who do you think sorts them, repairs them and cleans them. It is a good thing there is a minimum wage so the people who work there at least get a wage!
I live in a small country where we know who is less fortunate, so we either give shrunk clothes to siblings or relatives with smaller children, or charity. And the ones that are in too bad a condition, we cut up and use as rags for cleaning 🧼.
Half of my closet is used. I only have two rules - I will NOT buy used underwear and only gently used shoes... I also have a great idea- how about clothing swaps. People meet once a month and people who are the same sizes form groups and switch up clothes!!! (*like a clothing library)!!!
that will be great. even for books
this is actually an amazing idea! I wonder if anyone has set something like this up yet
Kasia Nowak yes
i'd love to see that idea come to life
Me and my family and family friends do that often
I buy maybe 10 new clothing items a year and I've always sold my old stuff to consignment stores or given them to friends..I'm glad I've never fallen into that cycle of buying buying buying. It's heartbreaking to see how the world really works.
That is a lot.
bless antoine I have given mine to homeless shelters as well as to the YWCA emergency shelter for women. From what I had watched I will continue to take them to those places
Annette Melnychuk ... good, but not good enough..were you not watching? All that wearhouse is full of donation clothes.. just don't buy new ones and if you need to buy, get it from goodwill or the store you donate your clothes to... like an exchange. There are also website to exchange clothes or rent for special occasions. Minimize your consumption. Plus buy 100% cotton fabrics.
bless antoine I haven’t bought a single new clothing item in 4 years. Lol I’m getting a little too big for my current clothes 😬 it might be time to get something new
bless antoine same, it blows my mind
I have relatives that go shopping every time there's a sale, as a result, they're often donating clothing with the tags still on. I make sure to buy fabrics that can last for ten or more years and have lately begun using dye to restore clothes with stains.
My grandmother wears some clothes for almost 50 years. 😂😂😂
Awww! Bless her heart!
😅😅😅that's a good idea though 😅❤❤❤
Same as my dad. He still has several Levi’s jeans from the 70s and 80s that still look nice
Hold onto those old clothes you don't want. 40 years from now you can sell them as "retro vintage".
Leather, wool, cashmere jacket and jean. If you can not used them for very long time something is very wrong with you.
That isn't the answer as their purpose is to be worn but if the people who could be wearing those items from used clothing stores or thrift stores will have to buy something else. It's much better of an idea to buy currently vintage items as they will be worth something or even more in 40 years, and they are less likely to be sought after by average thrift store users only by resellers, collectors, or vintage lifestyle hobbyists.
we make Rag Rugs from old clothes.The textiles live on for a few more years as a functional rug on my floor somewhere in my home. It was how they used old clothes back in the 1800s.
You can't "buy less" bc the quality of the "fast fashion" clothing is so poor that a couple of washes and it's all over. I still have clothing -- pants, blouses, sweaters, tops -- from 30-40 years ago that can still be worn and washed! Good luck finding clothing that will last today. If you can tell me where to find good quality clothing that will last years, please share! The clothes just disintegrate today.
cyc7lops PACT clothing makes some nice basics, and boody too......they aren't exciting pieces but they work well.
This is so sadly true. We need to go back to the real things
Good quality clothing is out there but you have to spend a fortune.
I have a few pieces of clothing from Banana Republic that I found in thrift stores that are very good quality. I washed them many times and they still look new. They're about 10 years old so I don't know about the brand quality now. Hope it hasn't gone down at least too much
king james488 I same here. Walmart may sick for small businesses but it lasts. Or folks can make your own high quality clothes it's a really fun mother daughter project
Thank you for making this video - very informative and eye opening, but also heartbreaking.
jayheh you are certainly better than a lot of people. However, you can do much better than that. I.e: before buying something make sure you really need it and don’t have a replacement for it in your closet, and that you don’t want to buy it just so you can fulfill your urge to buy. Also, try swapping an old clothing item with a friend that wants to give away an item you feel like you need. If this is still not enough for you look it up in thrift stores or second hand stores. If you still need something that you can’t find in any of the mentioned above try ethical clothing brands and environmentally friendly textiles that are fair trade and stuff like that.
Also it is not only about fashion. There are many ways to save the world from climate change, like changing your diet, transportation, energy and water saving, and more.
OMG we have so much food waste and now clothing waste as well.
I think H&M is awful quality
roxyroller120 agreed
some of the stuff is. the quality in that store varies quite a lot.
HM quality is actually pretty good compared to Zara
I guess it depends on the article.
roxyroller120 actually almost all the clothes that i keep for 5 years or something are from h&m.
I remember my mom coming home with bags and bags of clothes from garage sales and thrift stores. It's all we wore growing up. Quite grateful for it after watching this!
I remember my mum unravelling Dad's hand knitted sweaters to reknit them.
I haven't bought new clothes since 2 and half years coz my old ones are still good and didn't feel it like a necessity.. seeing this makes me feel good about myself and makes me wanna continue.. hope more people would stop getting into fast fashion
“This clothes has holes” what ever happened to a needle and some thread
Elizabeth ikr did people forget to stitch? everyone on this planet (male and female) should be able to stitch small holes in their clothes lmfao.
@MsUsagi513 Well I am 13 and I learned how to sew at 11. It is a basic life skill everybody should know.
You've got a point there! ... But once the first hole appears, it won't take long until there is a second, third, etc.
Often the fabric is of a poor quality. People should buy items of better quality, in smaller amounts.
Yeah, even in a world where you can look up, "How to Stich Up Clothes" people don't do it. Trends and consumerism are going to destroy the world. Then you got the lucky few who won't buy to a crazy fashion sense.
Reminds me of the fashion documentary: The True Cost 📺💰
Indeed a great documentary as is this one!
‘The True Cost’ is an amazing documentary that really opened my eyes to the reality of fast fashion. It’s definitely something I’m never gonna forget, and something I’d recommend to everyone.
I used to ask friends for their "trash" clothes to use for our guinea pig cage. It saved us money on bedding, and got more use out of clothes that would otherwise end up in a landfill. I've also crafted old tshirts into cute shag rugs. ALWAYS ask around if others can use them before throwing them away!
They should be sorted by size and auctioned on ebay as bagfulls.
$22 million is less than what might cost to dispose it in the U.S. so basically they using Kenya as a dumping ground!
Africa not only ke ya. Those are in every country in africa. So imagine, they make money nit only on Africans bit also on the people that donate it. And il actually still end up arming the environment, the only pro for westerners is it is thousand of miles away.
Not only in kenya... other developing countries as well... just like us here in philippines but idk if it is illegal or legal... since our law says it is illegal but the shops that sells used clothing from other countries are too rampant in here that it is too noticeable to the public eye and business owners of these stores are making money from supposed to be donations... we call our thrift stores here "ukay-ukay"...
Edited because of wrong use of words and grammar is quite off
@@naydsedad6347 I prefer ukay ukay here in Philippines better than H&M lol in Kenya too I prefer our own African attire it last for long
@@angelofgod7894 ... true, ukay-ukay last long if you know how to pick and you are early on the new releases of clothes...
This is truly an amazing video. Thank you for educating people on fast fashion. It is heartbreaking to see this happening in Kenya and polluting their environment
More people need to see this video. It is devastating to see how this type of lifestyle is doing to our planet and environment. It is scacry to think what our world would be like in ten years.
Slow fashion offers unique pieces with sentimental value behind it
All my clothes are second hand. Not broke. I just love cheap stuffs 😂
it is so true when the price is low, the impulse buying occurs.
The price is low by design. No one would buy a little radio for 25 dollars when they can buy it for 5 dollars only. Include to that VAT, a payroll for people selling or advertising it - and any other cost related to this item.
Price is underpriced, just because we can more likely buy it, but we pay that cost elsewhere.
Our planet earth is losing resources, someone needs to "recycle" it overseas, and I am not even talking about people overworking on these item in China or somewhere for low price losing their health and free time.
When you have enough in the closet it hard to impulse buy. And yet again some people have money and just can not help themselves.
This is why limited content of synthetics in fiber is so important. Natural fibers are look better, more comfortable to wear and they recycling easily without any hazard.
This video has been so informative and educational. I feel even more happy now that I taught myself to sew as a teenager and improved my skills over the years. I now purchase quality fabric and materials and make most of my own clothes using the best techniques. I feel good that the clothes look and feel better than so many items in stores; are just as stylish and trendy and they last longer. This however, may not be for everyone.
this is something I had never even thought of, wow such an eye opener. I'll try to shop primarily thrift now
Best expose’ ever!!! I learned about this by reading a book called “Overdressed”.
I haven’t shopped at a “disposable-fashion” store since....
I'm from the Philippines, and I can attest to this. I grew up thrift shopping with my Mom, and I've been told since I was a child, that all of the clothes in the thrift store were actually donations that importers profit out of. Usually, going thrift shopping is cheaper than buying brand new clothes, and you can haggle, too. But I agree with the claim that there are too many useless low-quality clothes that will only get junked. I see them in thrift stores all the time. And these thrift stores pride themselves in selling New items every week, even though their stores are still overflowing with unsold goods.
Best way to recycle old clothes. Cut it up in to something new. #DIY
Nojah 710 make a quilt.
Nojah 710 that’s good for people with A. An ability , B. Some artistic skill, C. A sewing machine and the ability to use it.
that's a great idea!
julie Nicholson
wdym an ability? anyone can do it. you don't even need a sewing matchine
julie Nicholson Excuses, excuses. There are lots of DIY tutorials on UA-cam for making stuff without a sewing machine if you care to look.
My heart is aching
As a Fashion design student I find this documentary about the broken fashion industry perfectly done. All aspects of the wrong doings of the system were pointed out and there was nothing missing in information! I wished that the reporter would have an good conclusion how this system can be changed and this would be political bans and heavy restrictions on the textile industry. Why can we have these restrictions in the automotive, health, food and energy industry but for gods sake not on the textile industry! We need international laws/agreements done by politics not by companies. Companies can only change 10% laws and restrictions can make them force to change 80%! The consumer also can‘t change enough the textile industry! There is so much green washing going on it is insane! Labels won‘t give clarity to the consumer to buy „green cloths“. They only guarantee that the clothing has a certain quality or meet certain producing quality. But never these labels secure that the clothing is „ecological clean“.
I'm too broke to shop in H&M, Zara, Levi's, lol! I wish. I bought a pair of $7 walmart pants and they're one of 2 I've been wearing going on 2 years now.
I got a couple of super cute dresses from h and m for 6 bucks each.
I like to get my workout pants at Walmart as well or the ones on sale on base. I wear them till my thighs ruin the crotch or the elastic is gone.
For the past 3 years I have been buying second hand clothes only. I will no longer support this crazy industry.
My best second hand coat is Canadian. It was a bit expensive to be second hand, but oh well, I bought it on the time were here in my country "vintage" was "trendy" so the big importers of bins obviously started to separate themselves the "cool" clothes in good condition and put stores with cool look to sell the items as more expensive (when in the past, you could be searching all Saturday morning and find the same treasures for a third of the price).
Well, I just saw this red, tartan like coat, fully lined, all their zippers working, no pieces missing, no damage, fit me perfectly, I was still in Uni and had a part time job, but I needed a coat and bought it. That was like more than 10 years ago. I still own and love my made in Canada second hand coat.
Now, the only H&M item I own is a short sleeved tartan shirt my mum got me from the neighbourhood's market, from a lady who sells second hand clothes very cheap. Obviously my mum didn't knew the label. Unfortunately, it is made in Bangladesh, I don't buy anything from there because of the Rana Plaza tragedy, but I already have it, so I wear it, in memory of the workers.
H&M says their clothes are well made to last. 😂🤣😂🤣😂
Who the hell is buying 70 clothing items a year wtf
white women . they alone are frying this planet. too much peroxide, too much sillicon , too much gel, too many leathers clothes and bags and huge consumption of meat.
those fashion haul youtubers.ugghhh.!
All westernised women shopping at H&M, Primark, New Look etc. Check all the hauls on UA-cam, they only need to spend £50 on 10 items to feel rich. These stores are always busy.
Lechiffresix six I’m a white woman and buy like a max of 15 pieces a year
myra961 yes yes them
This video is extremely informative.. it really opened my eyes
Having to have a different outfit for every day is part of the problem as well. I have a capsule wardrobe (narrow types of items/deep in inventory) and I actually mend and maintain things.
i worked at value village. the clothes got bailed and some went in landfill for sure. however, all the merch that gets taken off shelf for new stock to go on gets thrown in the garbage. crystal, picture frames, knick knacks, mugs plates everything. the stuff value village throws away in ONE day in a city of 65000 people can EASILY stock 2 businesses with product. that's just the garbage they throw away that they say they don't throw away. lol.
Does it matter? You were donating those clothes because you were done with them, and you would have gotten rid of them no matter what was being done with them.
A lot of times i would donate even new items thinking someone worse off than me would benefit. I also spent gas and took off time to drive to donation locations. Why would i do this if i could have thrown it out myself? The sad thing is if you look at some of the dumpster diving videos on youtube behind thrift stores there's better stuff in their dumpsters than in their store inventory.
thank u for letting me know this
James F It's really great that we hope our clothing is going to someone who needs it, but in the end we're just getting rid of it. We have no idea what will become of that bag of clothing once it leaves our hands. It can either be thrown in the landfill by the charity shop, or stocked and bought by someone who needs it (yay) just to be thrown away by them in the end when they can no longer use it (ugh). So what is even the solution? I have no idea. Minimalism+buying secondhand in the first place so as not to contribute to overproduction of new clothing, but I feel like in the end of all ends everything will just go to the landfill eventually.
TheHellorandomness ✌️
I work for an online thrift company where people can sell their clothes, and it's incredible to see how many clothes simply exist. Kids clothes are some of the best items to buy thrifted, since kids grow up so quickly, and my job won't accept 0-12 months clothing that is stained, faded, torn or looks old. So basically brand new. We even get a lot of clothing that has original tags from the shop the customer bought it from. There's a lot of brands: I see mainly Ann Taylor Loft, H&M, Zara, J.Crew, Nike, Adidas, and Banana Republic, though I've also handled designer garments like Versace, Giorgio Armani, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, and I've packed Louboutin heels on two occasions. The only complaint that I have is that we don't wash the clothes before shipping them out! I think that's a little gross, but my company is focused on being environmentally friendly, so it'd be a waste of a lot of water to have to wash everything before it goes out, and the customer is gonna wash it themselves anyway.
Sometimes it's hard to be motivated in my job, as they pressure you a lot to keep your numbers high, but this video reminded me why they're doing this in the first place, and I think it's a great thing for the planet.
They don't need to wash them, but they should do steam sterilization/use an autoclave oven. This will make them safe and then the customers can actually wash them.