A piece of clothing no longer fits, you no longer like it, or you've never worn it. The solution seems simple: donate clothes. You're tidying up, doing something good – or so the assumption goes. But what actually happens to the clothes we donate?

Dark side of good intentions

Donations sound like helping. But in fact, clothing donations are also part of a global business. Many donated items are not distributed locally, but shipped across the globe. What seems like a solution for the donor becomes a problem elsewhere. Because not every donated item is a profit.

The path of many clothing donations

In Europe, millions of items of clothing end up in used clothing containers every year. From there, they are sent to collection points, sorting facilities, and intermediaries. Only about a third finds its way into second-hand shops – the rest is exported, primarily to Africa.

One problem: A large portion of the clothing is no longer of sufficient quality for resale. Fast fashion, in particular, is unsuitable for reuse. The result: huge quantities of low-quality clothing end up in landfills and pollute the environment.

When help becomes a burden

The problem is so severe that some African countries want to stop importing used clothing altogether. What was well-intentioned is becoming an export strategy for unresolved problems.

But there's another way: More control and transparency in the distribution of donated clothing is a start. Even more important, however, is the first step: conscious consumption.

Quality is the key

High-quality, long-lasting clothing not only brings joy to the original buyer, but also to the next wearer. Only then does clothing donation truly make sense. Anything else is just relocation.

BREDDY'S produces long-lasting clothing – so that your decision doesn't become trash tomorrow.