Every day, thousands of pieces of clothing are being made and sold. We live in a consumer society that only strengthens this incessant search for new looks.
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There is a second-hand market – that trade in used clothes, which we usually call thrift stores or even charities and bazaars – that uses part of this production. But even this market is unable to guarantee a sustainable cycle of this unrestrained clothing production.
Now comes the information that no one tells you: this unconscious consumption is flooding the Planet with discarded fabrics, which end up in landfills in developing countries, such as Haiti, Kenya and Ghana.
“Theoretically, these clothes are supposed to help the local economy, but that’s not what happens… in Ghana, 40% of the clothes that arrive go straight to landfill”, explains Cládia Castanheira, professor of sustainability and language, creator of the profile Thrift stores around the world. Listen ⤵️
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According to the expert, currently, it is estimated that 15 million pieces of used clothing arrive in Ghana every day, and almost half end up in landfills!!
Cláudia lives in Belgium and, as a consultant, she works with several circular fashion institutions and knows very closely how this system works. The expert warns: there is an industry behind those clothes you no longer wear and a very dirty side to them too.
“The clothing discarded by rich countries in the North goes to the global South for very complex issues, which involve negotiations between companies and also institutional negotiations between nations. And there is also a large market behind it”, says Cláudia.
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According to her, clothes from famous and expensive brands from Europe, or even those that came from charity bazaars, end up in sorting centers and become huge packages that will be sent to poor countries. Listen⤵️
From the industrial revolution to 'fast fashion': the damage caused by unrestrained clothing production to the environment
Cláudia Castanheira explains that the roots of this problem are far back in time, in the industrial revolution. More recently, the growth of “fast fashions”, stores that produce dozens of collections and clothes every month, has made the problem even worse. Listen ⤵️
Recently Cláudia made a video on her personal profile and also on Thrift stores around the world showing a sorting center, which provides information to raise awareness among its followers about clothing disposal and how it can impact the environment:
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The consultant warns: don't think that you have no responsibility for this problem! Everyone who buys clothes, whether new or circular fashion, needs to be aware of what excessive consumption causes. “This is an issue that affects not only the Planet but us humans. And everything is heading towards extinction”! Listen ⤵️
Now that you know about the impact of fashion waste on the environment, perhaps you can rethink your consumption? 😉
@curtonews Have you ever stopped to think about what happens to a piece of clothing when it can no longer be worn? We talked about this with Claudia Castanheira 🎥
♬ original sound Curto News
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