A Clothes Look at Textile Recycling (with video)

USAgain often repeats its mantra that according to the EPA, "only 15% of post-consumer textile waste is recycled." But this oft-quoted statistic on the percentage of textiles going to landfills can be misleading. Put simply, the EPA does not equate “textiles” with “used clothing.” The truth is that the EPA classifies the collection of used clothing — what USAgain in part does — as “reuse of non-durable goods,” which has nothing to do with textile recycling data. The EPA says that it doesn’t even quantify clothing reuse statistics. I have the EPA’s own documentation stating this.

USAgain trumpets the fact that it diverts tons of old clothes from the landfill. But so do a lot of other organizations, many of which are bona fide, local non-profits helping worthy causes in the community. Some media reports suggest that USAgain and other for-profit clothes collectors divert donations from such charitable groups.

So where does the still useable clothing collected by USAgain go? From what I’ve read and heard, most of it is shipped overseas to be sold — not given — to Africans and other foreigners. A lot of people might be OK with that. They might even be OK with media reports claiming that the American used clothing market abroad has absolutely devastated the textile industry in Africa.

All that aside, what happens to those used clothes overseas when they are finally and completely worn out — even by the standards of Africa’s poorest? Might we assume that most of these items won’t be recycled but will be thrown into the trash? If that is true, won’t most used clothes collected in the U.S. and sold overseas ultimately end up in a foreign landfill?

In that case, aren’t we Americans simply passing off our landfill problems to other countries? I’m just asking questions here.

Furthermore, USAgain has attracted considerable unfavorable press over the years. In my opinion, the public should be aware of such reports. These days, it’s wise to research before donating.

Here are a few reports on USAgain:

● KIRO-7 Eyewitness News in Seattle; 2009:
* Part 1: http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/millions-clothing-donations-diverted-cha...
* Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yb1G_vsc9E

(More reports follow in my next comment)

Just a few more reports on USAgain:

● Denver Post, 2005 (re-posted at International Cultic Studies Association website):
http://www.icsahome.com/logon/elibdocview.asp?Subject=BBB%3A+Charity+bin...

● Better Business Bureau, 2005: http://www.denverbbb.com/files/public/2005_0708_July-August_Better_Busin...

● Time Magazine, 2003: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1005148-1,00.html

● A 2001 Danish court document (translated into English by the Danish government) from The Public Prosecutor for Serious Economic Crime, in Denmark. In the document (at bottom of p. 4), prosecutors list USAgain as one of the "productive activities” of the Tvind Teachers Group, a controversial organization, whose top leaders are currently Interpol fugitives wanted in Denmark in connection with a multimillion-dollar tax-fraud and embezzlement scheme : http://www.tvindalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Exhibit_C.pdf

So perhaps it really is a good idea to "take a clothes look" at USAgain before you donate to them.

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