This week is national clothing poverty week and in honour of it, we wanted to share some facts on how clothing poverty affects the UK and the rest of the world.
The fact is there is very little information on this topic and it goes undocumented and unreported on the news. However here and Collect My Clothes our aim is to take the U.K.’s unwanted clothing, stop it from going to landfill, and deliver it to a brand-new home. And that new home will be those in need across Africa and Eastern Europe.
Fast Fashion and Poverty
It must be said that there is a clear link between fast fashion and poverty. For those who make our fast-fashion clothing, far more than often money is low, food is simple and clothing for themselves is far and in between. So now more than ever fast fashion brands are being asked to be transparent and to take the steps to help better their worker’s lives.
It is up to brands to do more by raising wages, improving working conditions, and putting in a proper working structure that will allow these workers a better quality of life.
How Your Clothing and Shoes Help
Thankfully, your clothing and shoes can and do help us transform the lives of so many people who are in need. From children in school, who can’t afford the latest trend and are fearful about attending school because of it to people who resell your donations to bring in an income to support their family.
A great story around this topic comes from the book ‘Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World Of Fast Fashion and Secondhand Clothes written by Andrew Brooks. Andrew shares a story about a man named Mario. Mario makes a living by selling secondhand jeans imported from North America and Europe.
Without your contribution, Mario would not be able to keep up his lively hood and would struggle to earn a living. There are so many people similar to Mario’s story and hearing personal stories such as this one is what makes your donations and our work so important.
The Future
On the back of this blog, we are now starting a campaign titled ‘Summer Clean Out’. This summer we are asking you, your friends and your family to declutter your wardrobes and donate to those who are most in need. Starting from June 14 running to July 14 2021, we will be looking out for your hashtag content under #SummerCleanOut ! From a time-lapse video of you cleaning out to you having your bags collected, we can’t wait to see you all involved.
You can find our content over on our sister brands social @Recycle4SchoolUK on Instagram.
So to get involved follow our three step process linked below and help us change the world.
