Dropping off a bag of old clothes at the charity shop feels good. We assume that we’re doing something positive for the world, and that our clothes will get a second life with someone who needs them.
But what really happens to our used clothes after we donate them to charity?
The rise of fast fashion in recent decades means that the amount of used clothes being donated vastly exceeds demand.
We’re also buying more cheap, synthetic clothing, which wears out faster and often isn’t good enough quality to be reused or recycled into something new.
Most donated clothes are baled up and exported to Africa or Asia - Image credit: Alamy
