The exchange of unwanted clothing is not just about using old items. It is an important part of promoting sustainable fashion as it not only keeps the pursuit of ‘new’ but also reduces waste. As people become more aware of environmental protection, especially the younger generation, and want to pursue individuality without harming our environment, sustainable fashion is the way to go.
According to a new survey by Chinese second-hand resale platform Idlefish, Chinese households generate 30kg of unused clothes each year. In Beijing, for example, these clothes take up more than 20,000 yuan of space each year.
Is that a shock to your heart? Data from Idlefish shows that the average urban woman now buys clothes more than twice a month, and this frequency is increasing rapidly at a rate of 15% per year. The chopping is getting faster and faster, but there are only so many clothes you can wear every day, so over 80% of clothes are left unused once they are out of season. They don’t throw them away out of guilt, but they do take up space in their wardrobes.
Although men buy fewer clothes, they have a lot of unused clothes. The “three no’s” of not accepting gifts, not giving them away, and not participating in recycling also keep their wardrobes full of used clothes. The number of conservative people willing to participate in the eco-friendly disposal of used clothes is less than a quarter of the number of women.
In the 20-35 age group, 95% are women, which is an imbalance between men and women. However, this is understandable, as women are more likely to dress freshly, and men are less sensitive to clothing than women. Still, the proportion of male swappers would be much higher if they exchanged electronics or sports equipment.
click here to know moreWhile more and more used clothes are piling up in wardrobes, the post-95s are trying to change this dilemma. After the emergence of various disposal methods such as reselling, free delivery, or participating in used clothes recycling in Idlefish, 500,000 used clothes are resold to Idlefish every month with one click, and 15,000 tons of used clothes flow through Idlefish recycling, behind which is the enthusiastic participation of a large number of post-95 users.
The data shows that the post-95s are the most keen to resell used clothes, accounting for 34%, while used clothes are more likely to find new owners in Idlefish for free, with 30% of used clothes being pocketed by them. It can be said that the post-95s, who are willing to share, have become a powerful force in the environmental disposal of used clothes, and they have triggered a new trend in the environmental disposal of used clothes.
In order to give more online users the enthusiasm, motivation, and courage to face their used clothes, Idlefish has joined forces with H&M, Levi’s, In man, and other major clothing brands to carry out the recycling. Users who participate can receive coupons of corresponding value for their clothes, and so far, the three major brands have achieved over 70 tons of bright results. To date, the three brands have achieved over 70 tonnes of success. These relieved users can then happily shop with their vouchers, which is a triple win.
click here to know moreIn the past, 26 million tonnes of clothes were discarded each year in China, with less than 1% utilisation rate. At the same time, today, the Idlefish platform alone has recycled over 15,000 tonnes of used clothes. According to a survey conducted by Idlefish, the most active users of used clothes in the North, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou are the most active in recycling used clothes.
With more and more platforms such as Idlefish willing to participate in used clothes recycling. And with clothing manufacturers and users taking a more positive attitude towards used clothes. It is safe to say that China’s future in used clothes recycling is very bright, which will also help our society become greener and more environmentally friendly.
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