According to the largest monitoring investigation of its type, major fashion retailers like H&M, Zara, C&A, Primark, Nike, The North Face, Uniqlo, and M&S are not living up to their claims of recycling or repurposing donated items. Three-quarters of the donated clothing met a miserable end, according to a study by the Changing Markets Foundation that tracked 21 items using Apple AirTags. Even items in pristine condition were frequently destroyed, put in storage, or sent to locations in Africa where they faced an uncertain future.
For instance, a pair of given trousers to M&S was thrown out after a week, but a pair of donated jogging trousers to C&A was burned in a cement kiln. A skirt that was sent to H&M also travelled 24,800 kilometres from London to a landfill in Mali, where it was ostensibly dumped. Of the original 21, only five items—or 25 percent—were really reused or found new homes in Europe.
The inquiry discovered that despite the schemes’ slogans promising to close the loop or give garments a second life, these claims frequently amounted to greenwashing techniques, with corporations sending donated items to third-party organisations with a focus on reuse, recycling, or disposal. Surprisingly, none of the mentioned companies keep a public record of what happens to the donated clothing.
Urska Trunk, the campaign manager for Changing Markets, lamented the businesses’ false advertising and urged tougher action to stop the fast fashion industry’s wasteful practises. Trunk issued a statement claiming that the claims made by H&M, C&A, and Primark were “yet another greenwashing trick on customers.” According to our research, the majority of things in pristine condition are either destroyed, become caught in the system, or are delivered to nations that are least equipped to handle the massive influx of used clothing from Europe. The schemes reinforce the fast fashion model, which is rife with waste, by giving buyers coupons, discounts, or points to spend on additional items.
