This is What Happens to Your Clothes after You Donate Them

Donating your clothes is one way to dispose of them, whether it’s to Goodwill or other charities that help those in need. But what happens to all of those clothes once they’re donated? From there, it’s not always easy to track them down, and most people don't actually know where their items end up. In order to be a more conscious consumer and ethically clean out your closet, it's important to be aware of what happens to your clothes once you part with them. 

Where do they go?

Only the best quality items actually get sold in thrift shops in the United States. The majority of donated clothing, including lower quality items, get shipped overseas to be sold. This can be damaging to local economies and just shifts responsibility away from the people who are actually creating the waste. From there, not all clothing can actually be sold or donated, so it just gets put into landfills. 

What happens in landfills?

Clothing that ends up in landfills can cause harm in a number of ways. Synthetic fibers like polyester, which are by far the most common, do not degrade easily. Even more "sustainable" natural fibers release methane as they biodegrade, contributing to global warming. Also, chemicals put into the clothes during production can end up leaking into the surrounding soil and water. Ultimately, nothing good comes of clothes ending up in a landfill and the problem is only getting worse. In 2018, 11.3 million tons of textile waste was landfilled, a number that has been steadily increasing over the past several decades. 

What else can you do?

It's unrealistic to say you'll never buy new clothes or get rid of old clothes, but it's important to be conscious of what happens to items after you dispose of them. Donating is definitely better than throwing old clothes in the trash, but there are downsides and a lot of donated clothes will end up landfilled and harming the environment anyway. So, donating your old clothes is not necessarily the most sustainable option. Instead, you could try selling your clothes on apps, donating them to people directly who you know will wear them, or recycling them into a new item or even using the fabric for rags.