Donated clothing ending up as landfill across globe

SECONDHAND clothes dumped in clothing banks and take-back schemes are not staying in Ireland, with items travelling across the globe and likely ending as landfill.

- BY CIARA O'LOUGHLIN

Many well-intentioned Irish people are discarding clothing in these banks, believing a new home will be found for them close-by.

However, VOICE Ireland and the Global Shapers have found that items are being shipped to Kenya, Pakistan, the UAE and Libya.

Many are also leaving Ireland for European countries like Poland or Germany, known to be sorting hubs for secondhand clothing.

In December, the organisations sewed trackers into 38 clothing items mixed with new and used but wearable garments.

They then placed these items in private clothing banks and shop take-back schemes. Charity shops were not included.

Of these, 27 gave relevant results, with only two pieces of clothing being reused.

Seven months after the garments were given away, seven are still in Ireland waiting to be picked and sorted, four are in the Baltic Sea Region, three are in Poland, and there are two items each in Germany, the UAE and Pakistan.

Kenya, Belgium, Libya, Nigeria and Togo each received one of the 27 items.