Riches to Rags..?
HERE is an interesting article about what really happens to the clothes we give.
It did make me feel uncomfortable at first, but then perhaps it’s best that someone is making use of the clothes, at a price they can afford, rather than them being discarded as rubbish.
Still, it does make you think. I give a LOT of clothes/stuff to charity shops, and buy mine and the kids clothes from there too. I wonder if different charities (who own shops) work in different ways, when it comes to this issue (as per the article)
any forts anyone?!
March 21st, 2006 at 7:49 pm
After hearing this programme today http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/pip/zw1u1/
I will think again about donating clothes even to Oxfam. I’d always thought that was a 100% good thing, but it seems like just another aspect of globalisation and even a sort of dumping.
March 21st, 2006 at 7:50 pm
Seems to be the same programme. Not sure why the spacing is so exaggerated in the previous post.
March 22nd, 2006 at 7:51 pm
Yes, it does all look a bit suss.
Perhaps we ought to think more about giving to people we know, when it comes to getting rid of unwanted clothes. I guess this works better with kids’ clothes than it does with adult ones! That said, several friends give me their old clothes (knowing that i have no pride!) and some of these items have been fab and I wear all the time!
April 28th, 2006 at 9:42 pm
Annie, the sadder thing is that indiginous clothes makers and manufacturers in developing world countries are not able to compete with the market flooded with our free/cheap cast offs.
It’s the same principle when we dump unwanted food on to developing world markets – no-one wants to buy local; local producers aren’t able to make a living selling their home-grown food; and more people become dependant on hand-outs, which can dry up.
I’m looking for ethically produced fair trade cricket bats for my right-one girls team at the school where I work. If we can’t find any, I am planning on importing them myself.
Wish me luck!
Clem