Does someone actually buy all those clothes we donate? (cell phone, senior, discount)

[urbanlemur]

i used to work at a Salvation Army and the clothes that are rejected (too dirty, torn etc) are bundled and sent out to be processed into cleaning rags or similar items.

[fatsquirrel]

Almost everything I've acquired after age 18 is from used sections or collected from large dumpsters.

[Cida]

Originally Posted by greatblueheron

This week I've really cleaned out closets and drawers of clothing. Didn't realize how many old, out of date, worn, holey some of them were....the ones with holes etc. I just tossed but that leaves a lot of clothing to donate.
I read once that too many clothes end up at Goodwill, Salvation Army etc. and that they sometimes sell them in bulk to other countries to make into other products.
Anyone else heard that?

Yes. In fact, the donations have wrecked the clothing industry in some African countries.

[HappyRider]

The donation boxes more and more look like trash dumps. Even if in decent shape, there's no way money can be made sorting them out. Not sure why they have proliferated so much. There's something else going on.

[MaryleeII]

Originally Posted by saibot

I donate only clothes in good usable condition--no stains, rips, mismatched socks or holey underwear. In my area, all of those worn-out cloth items can be put in a plastic bag, tied shut, and placed in the recycling bin, so that's what I do with them.

Thanks for the suggestion


I will check if our recycling takes such!

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by HappyRider

The donation boxes more and more look like trash dumps. Even if in decent shape, there's no way money can be made sorting them out. Not sure why they have proliferated so much. There's something else going on.

I wash my donations first and fold them neatly, and I label them as washed.

I have read articles in the past that some charities in the U.S. sell the less salable or wearable clothes in huge lots to dealers. These are than shipped to Africa where they are purchased by local vendors who sell them in street markets. This supposedly accounts for the large number of shirts with recognizable U.S. logos, sports team monograms, etc. that you can see in photos and videos from Africa. And the original U.S. charity makes a small profit from the bulk sale.

[Nicci6Squirrels]

I do! I am an artist and all my clothing is covered in paint (or other detritus because I get very... creative... aka messy. Have you ever seen anyone use their armpit as a squeegee? Come on over.) If I bought all new clothing all the time, I'd live in a van down by the river!

[motormaker]

Sadly much of it is bailed up and shipped to India and other countries sold and what's left over is burned.

[motormaker]

Originally Posted by HappyRider

The donation boxes more and more look like trash dumps. Even if in decent shape, there's no way money can be made sorting them out. Not sure why they have proliferated so much. There's something else going on.

My city has banned them from all locations.

[motormaker]

Originally Posted by kevxu

I wash my donations first and fold them neatly, and I label them as washed.

I have read articles in the past that some charities in the U.S. sell the less salable or wearable clothes in huge lots to dealers. These are than shipped to Africa where they are purchased by local vendors who sell them in street markets. This supposedly accounts for the large number of shirts with recognizable U.S. logos, sports team monograms, etc. that you can see in photos and videos from Africa. And the original U.S. charity makes a small profit from the bulk sale.

Correct, there are even You Tube videos of them, some tp India and the sub continent.