One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure The high living costs after Covid-19, especially in clothing and merchandise, have forced a lot of people to buy second-hand goods to make ends meet. Years before, buying second-hand goods was seen as unreasonable. Why would you want to pay for something that has already been used by a stranger? But now, it is a hot new thing that youths and adults are doing. As people become more environmentally conscious, they realise that handing over clothes is a ...

One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure

The high living costs after Covid-19, especially in clothing and merchandise, have forced a lot of people to buy second-hand goods to make ends meet. Years before, buying second-hand goods was seen as unreasonable. Why would you want to pay for something that has already been used by a stranger? But now, it is a hot new thing that youths and adults are doing. As people become more environmentally conscious, they realise that handing over clothes is a solution to reducing fashion waste and helping the disadvantaged.

Passing down clothes is not a new thing, and a person can then buy that item for half the price. Mrs. Bảo Trân shared that today’s youth liked to buy expensive clothes to show off in a couple of pictures, then they would sell them back to the store. She had even almost quit buying new clothes because she can just buy almost unused clothes in a store that sells them at a 90% discount or even less. Not only is this practice good for the wallet, but it is also fantastic for the environment. As 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced every year, the fashion industry is throwing away more clothes than ever before.

Besides taking care of the waste, giving away or buying second-hand clothes also helps the needy who are struggling to survive during cold winters or to afford basic needs. Starting as a Facebook page for selling second-hand clothes, an organisation now sells old clothing for charity money. Volunteers can either donate their used fashion items to the shop to give to the poor or give them to the shop as free apparel. The only requirement is that the clothes should be in good condition.

(Adapted from THiNK)