A recent investigation conducted by nonprofit Changing Markets Foundation has cast doubt on the effectiveness of apparel trade-in programs.
The Dutch organization used 21 Apple AirTags to track garments, including coats, trousers, and jackets, through prominent programs offered by companies like H&M, Zara, C&A, Primark, Nike, The North Face, Uniqlo, and M&S. The investigation covered locations in Belgium, France, Germany, and the U.K., with additional items donated to a Boohoo upcycling scheme. The study found that despite the program taglines promoting sustainability, the efforts fell short.
Approximately 76 percent (16 out of 21 garments) were either destroyed, left in warehouses, or exported to Africa for disposal, raising concerns about human rights and waste management crises. Trouser donations to M&S were scrapped within a week, while joggers donated to C&A were incinerated in a cement kiln. Shockingly, a skirt donated to H&M traveled thousands of kilometers from London to waste ground in Mali, allegedly dumped.
In response to the investigation, an H&M spokesperson acknowledged the seriousness of the findings and the need to meet higher standards. H&M's garment-collecting partner, Remondis, took over responsibility for the program in January 2023, and the company has pledged to ensure proper waste management.
Primark also clarified its take-back scheme, managed by Yellow Octopus, stating that donated clothing is responsibly handled and utilized through the Upcycle Labs initiative to create home products from textile waste.
Changing Markets' summary highlighted the necessity for European Commission regulators to implement "mandatory" reuse and recycling targets, tax synthetic textiles, and establish circular design standards in legal measures.
France and the Netherlands have already taken steps in this direction with legally binding reuse and recycling targets for used clothing. Past reports from Changing Markets have drawn attention to fashion's connection to Russian oil and clothing waste exports to Kenyan landfills, emphasizing various sustainability concerns.
