Have you ever wondered where the $15 billion revenue of Shein ends up after people no longer have a use for the clothing contributing to this number?
In short, landfills. However, out of the tons of clothing that end up in landfills, there are pounds more that are sent into the second-hand clothing trade. The common denominator in both of these destinations is that they are most often located in LMICs– Low or Lower Middle-Income Countries. The United States alone sends out approximately $700 million worth of used clothing, compressed into cubes to be “graded” and sold in these second-hand markets overseas. Furthermore, the individuals tasked with “grading” these clothes– the sorting, categorizing, and re-cubing of the clothing– are paid extremely low wages. Outside of the second-hand trade and markets, the clothing that does not get sold ends up in LMIC’s rivers, beaches, and parks as solid waste that pollutes natural environments.
While this second-hand clothing trade does have some benefits, such as creating jobs, albeit undependable, and giving low-income individuals affordable clothing options, there are many negative repercussions. The aforementioned issues of environmental damage through waste buildup and low-wage workers are still relevant, but further problems arise when one takes into account the effect this clothing trade has on the local clothing market. Domestic industries like this suffer with the presence of the second-hand clothing trade, and this displaces individuals who rely on local businesses for their income.
These issues paired with the mass production of clothing by fast fashion companies place LMICs and the people living there at a vast disadvantage. While fast fashion is appealing to people in places like the United States and Canada, the repercussions that people face in LMICs are not worth the trendy shopping spree. With the large number of issues the fast fashion industry causes in these LMICs, we as consumers need to be aware of the impact our purchases make; these clothes are much more than just trends.