In 2019, The New York Times published H&M’s dirty secret. Every year, the Swedish multifashion brand discards billions of dollars worth of new and perfectly usable clothes to landfills across the Global South or ships them to be incinerated.
H&M is but one of many guilty clothing companies. Fast fashion brands – you know your Zara, Adidas and H&M – are some of the worst polluters on the planet. They regularly overproduce clothes by 30-40%, according to some estimates. That’s because in order to attract customers, these companies need to come up with ever-changing trends and styles, and they need to make their shelves appear full.
But now, some Indians are finding ways to avoid participating in ‘fast fashion’ — through thrifting. The practice of buying and selling second-hand things in the organised retail sector — that’s the definition of thrifting — became popular in the West in the 50s and 60s.
Even in India, people are establishing ‘thrift stores’, that buy and sell used clothing and accessories. In this episode, we’ll learn about the thrift industry in India. Who’s selling and who’s buying? Is thrifting really as sustainable as people think it is?
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