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Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

abc.net.au

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Re: Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

#211

Post by int_19h »

retSava wrote: post #50
francisofascii wrote: post #33

Any tips on extending the life of our clothes? I love new t-shirts, but they seem to wear down quickly. Maybe there is a way to wash them and get the sweat smell out without wearing down the shirt. I always use cold water, and only wash/dry when necessary. I heard washer agitation is a problem.

Washing clothes do wear them a lot, so if you can avoid washing clothes too often that'll help. Socks, undergarments, and (most often) t-shirts I don't do this with, but everything else like shirts or pants, do hang them nicely across the back of a chair so that they can air properly. Avoid wrinkles when hanging them. I'm about to buy new bed sheets etc, and the advice I've read is as follows: * satin is nice and sof…

While we're at it, linen is more sturdy than cotton, and may actually be more comfortable in hot climates.

Re: Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

#212

Post by mikem170 »

Scoundreller wrote: post #129
jeromegv wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many African countries actually prevent import of second hand clothing. They can produce clothing locally for quite cheap with local labor (that is cheap), but having literally FREE clothing showing up actually decimates your local industry. That's why you have anti-dumping laws in the western world.

But can they even compete with first hand clothing made in south/Southeast Asia? I haven’t seen anything “Made in Africa” in North America.

The idea is that "Made in Africa" clothes costs less locally in Africa than clothes made in Asia and shipped to Africa. Giving out free clothes in Africa puts "Made in Africa" out of that business.

What costs less for you in America may not be the same as what costs less in Africa, because of transport costs.

Re: Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

#213

Post by mikem170 »

the_gipsy wrote: post #171
boringg wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Um not to be crass but like most of the work everyone does on this form is probably close meaningless and often times redundant. I don't mean it in a derogatory way. And the adjective you should have used is redundant work. Clearly the work has meaning if it keeps people employed and building skills.

But you are advocating against sending free clothes with the goal of creating a scarcity so that people work to produce clothing, which they’ll essentially buy back. This is macabre.

I don't know if that's fair. It could be said that you are advocating for putting people in Africa out of work, messing with local economies, and people's livelihoods.

It seems these trade-offs are involved whenever talking about free trade versus tariffs, helping one group and hurting another.

Re: Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

#214

Post by Scoundreller »

mikem170 wrote: post #212
Scoundreller wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But can they even compete with first hand clothing made in south/Southeast Asia? I haven’t seen anything “Made in Africa” in North America.

The idea is that "Made in Africa" clothes costs less locally in Africa than clothes made in Asia and shipped to Africa. Giving out free clothes in Africa puts "Made in Africa" out of that business. What costs less for you in America may not be the same as what costs less in Africa, because of transport costs.

What's the transport cost on a t-shirt in a container? 7 cents?

My guess is that these countries have protectionist duties, which just makes goods more expensive for locals. Textiles aren't a very strategic industry. (Yes, everyone needs them, but it's not hard to find a selling country).

Re: Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

#215

Post by hakfoo »

jxramos wrote: post #162
rhino369 wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Recycling education is awful in America. I made it about 33 years without hearing that take out containers, etc. can’t be recycled.

the problem is the recycling triangle that's imprinted on the containers, the one's showing the material code on it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_codes . Somewhere along the line the recycle triangle had become synonymous with recyclable, but what didn't get communicated is that only certain codes paired with that triangle are actually recyclable.

I think that's a doomed plan. It varies from city to city, and even over time based on what they can contract to unload.

They try to relay changes, but the messaging is incredibly spotty. At one point they were saying "plastic containers where the mouth is wider than the base" or something like that, rather than even trying to use the plastic codes.

Re: Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

#216

Post by the_gipsy »

mikem170 wrote: post #213
the_gipsy wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But you are advocating against sending free clothes with the goal of creating a scarcity so that people work to produce clothing, which they’ll essentially buy back. This is macabre.

I don't know if that's fair. It could be said that you are advocating for putting people in Africa out of work, messing with local economies, and people's livelihoods. It seems these trade-offs are involved whenever talking about free trade versus tariffs, helping one group and hurting another.

Yea that's true, I am making a strawman too.

Whatever we do, it's bizarre to plan "poor people's economies". Whether it's creating internal economies, or sending some aid and wishing an external economy will materialize (but not compete with ours!), the truth is that we are at the same helping and exploiting the third world.

Re: Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

#217

Post by erfgh »

jeromegv wrote: post #102
erfgh wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you mean that if people there only had access to more expensive clothing they would be better off?

Many African countries actually prevent import of second hand clothing. They can produce clothing locally for quite cheap with local labor (that is cheap), but having literally FREE clothing showing up actually decimates your local industry. That's why you have anti-dumping laws in the western world.

The reason why you have anti-dumping is for the government to protect jobs at a certain sector (and hence buy votes), at the expense of consumers.

Re: Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

#218

Post by erfgh »

syshum wrote: post #108
erfgh wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you mean that if people there only had access to more expensive clothing they would be better off?

Give a man a fish you feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime... What is more humane. Having them depend on the charity and free goods of others, or building their economy to be self sustaining

Why don't we let people decide for themselves whether they want the cheaper clothing or they want to pay more? Who are you to decide how poor people should spend their money to clothe themselves?

Re: Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

#219

Post by cryptonym »

only_as_i_fall wrote: post #169
cryptonym wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't mention banning import of secondhand clothing, so I leave it to you. One way to prevent "westerner" from getting rid of clothes is by having them buying quality products at a fair price, including waste treatment. Now how that would be implemented, no idea. We all know any change will have side effects as we are in a complex economy and that doesn't mean we cannot try. Just to keep the discussion open on red…

Ok, but this is literally a thread about how cheap second hand clothes coming from western countries affect the local industries of African nations so I don't really know what you're on about

> Unless you can prevent westerners from getting rid of clothes in the first place

I tried to reply on this.

It sounds like you are oversimplifying this to cheap second hand clothes. This is also about pure waste and landfills. How people are profiting from clothes donated to charities, hurting local businesses, keeping local population in poverty and creating an environmental disaster.

Re: Many of the clothes we donate to charity end up dumped in landfill

#220

Post by whywhywhywhy »

fighterpilot wrote: post #130
whywhywhywhy wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you know, just don't make it in the first place. If all low quality fast fashion were $20 instead of $7 across the board people would still gorge themselves on it. They're not buying stuff for the need to have clothes, they're buying things for the experiences of buying it and the novelty of something new.

Fast fashion is probably one of the most price elastic goods in existence. And your suggestion to "just don't make it" is patently silly. Are you advocating for a ban on clothes or are you advocating for all manufacturers to willingly stop production and avoid profits? Either of these is detached from reality. A carbon tax is what's needed.

I'm being facetious I understand no one will ever stop making cheap fragile clothes out of synthetic fibers and people will never stop buying them.

I just don't think paying money to someone who can't even solve the problem that is being caused is going to solve anything.

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