Brands in dark over destination of unsold goods

TEXAS – Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of fashion brands and retailers surveyed did not know the destination of their unsold finished goods, according to research by US non-profit, Textile Exchange. Brands were polled on a variety of issues, including a range of questions relating specifically to recycling.

The alarming research also found that the majority (52 per cent) of companies using in-store ‘clothing take-back’ schemes do not know what happens to their collected materials or “have little visibility.” Such schemes have been in operation for the best part of a decade and see consumers depositing used clothing in stores, sometimes in exchange for vouchers.