The largest tracking research of its type has discovered that well-known 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 reusing donated goods. According to the Changing Markets Foundation’s study, which tracked 21 articles using Apple AirTags, just 25 per cent of the donated clothes was successfully reused. Even items in pristine condition were frequently destroyed, put in storage, or sent to unreliable destinations in Africa.
The research 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.
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. “The promises made by H&M, C&A and Primark are yet another greenwashing trick on customers,” Trunk said in a statement.
The analysis by Changing Markets was limited to Belgium, France, Germany, and the UK, but given how cheap most fast fashion clothing is, similar results are probably to be expected in other European nations.
