Fashion's Bad Trip

Where do recycled clothes go?

Fashion's Bad Trip Recycling old clothes may seem like the sustainable choice - but where do 'recycled' clothes end up? Investigations have revealed that many used clothes are being transported across the globe.
It's common knowledge that fast fashion is bad for the planet and when it's time for a wardrobe clear out, recycling seems a more sustainable option than disposal. But using tracking devices, journalists have found that many clothes placed in recycling units end up in landfill across the world. In Moldova, Ludmila's second hand shop is largely stocked by clothes from recycling bins. 'I throw away 45% of the clothes. Sometimes half the bag ends up in the garbage', says Ludmila. At a rubbish dump in Moldova, a manager explains that old clothes are piling up: 'There are 50 meters of buried waste'. The water by the dump is polluted as a result of the waste. 'I am worried because I give this water to my little girl. The water is used to wash ourselves', explains Irina, who lives near the dump.
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