April is one of the peak periods for used clothes recycling due to the changing of seasons. Have you ever wonder where your clothes are going before putting them into the recycling bank?
Used clothing in Hong Kong will generally be exported to developing countries in Southeast Asia and Africa. CA’s in particular will be exported to Southeast Asia such as Cambodia. Due to a wary financial atmosphere within the local recycling industry, the sorting of used clothes gathered from the recycling banks will need to be conducted in the importing country instead to lower operation costs prior to packing, sterilizing and shipping to Southeast Asia for reuse purposes. In order to obtain a better understanding of the reuse of used clothes in Cambodia, CA went to Phnom Penh and visited 5 wholesale as well as retail used clothes resale markets with the guidance from local driver and guide.
The setting of the wholesale and retail outlets for the used clothes resale market is similar where used clothes are stored in bulk within warehouses and shops. Clothes are being sorted by the locals and then put on display for sale in the shop front. Short sleeves and thin long sleeve shirts are popular while thicker winter clothing is relatively limited in the markets. Most used clothes are in a 50% new condition with few stained and pilled pieces. Other than clothing, second-hand specific shoe shops would also sell leather shoes, sports shoes, women’s shoes and kids’ shoes. The used shoes are still in a good condition, just slightly worn with decent outsoles and insoles. In addition to the visit, we had a chance to meet with local NGOs and learned the main exporters of used clothes in Cambodia are Japan and China. Local people were spotted wearing clothes with “Xian University” wordings as well as various Japanese printing.
From what we saw, used clothes are indeed quite common in Cambodia. At the same time, CA would like to urge consumers of Hong Kong to consider the demand of winter clothing in the receiving countries, where:
1. It is usually hot with over 20°C days
2. The import capacity of used clothes for Southeast Asian countries would soon reach its peak with an increasing amount of nearby exporting outlets
The intended purpose of used clothes recycling is to reuse. It is a way to minimize the amount of clothing ending up in landfills, especially those in wearable condition. CA encourages consumers to recycle their clothes only if one has explored all of its options. Moreover, recycling used clothes should never be an excuse to buy new clothes as avoiding unnecessary production is always the best option in terms of waste reduction.
