Full circle: The second life of old clothes abroad 

I was born in the slum/favela in Rio, Brazil. I was happy to buy cheaper 2nd hand clothes. Today, i live in California and i buy, happily, 2nd hand clothes. I live in a community so I collect food waste for our worms, wood chips for our soil and sleep in my car twice a week in San Francisco where i work. Why not? I definitely live a very abundant life because there is so much waste!

That stylist in Tunis is brilliant. We need more people like him in this wasteful society

That Fashion Designer who turns second hand clothes into fashionable new clothes is incredible! Not gonna lie, I’d happily wear some of those creations of his

im 52, i still have a few clothes i wore in HIGH SCHOOL. i rarely buy clothes, they gotta be falling apart til i throw them out.

I live minimalistic. Only own around 20 pieces of clothing at the time plus underwear and I am happier that way.

Stop buying so much clothing. When demand goes down, supply will follow.

If you don't need it truly need it DONT BUY IT.

I live in South Africa, these clothes are so cheap that even the poor can afford them. I love the idea of recycling clothes. I just wish South Africans has control of the market.

Who knew that old clothes could produce so many jobs and useful items such as insulation. Glad to see things recycled and not just burned.

hats off to the documentary.

I dont want to buy any clothes anymore its waste of money.

That green floral blazer he made is amazing.

you have forgot to comment on how this has destroyed our own textile industry

Today charity is biggest evil business, people become rich in the name of charity. How much of the money made through charity is corruption is mind blowing.

The best bargin is shopping in the back of your closet. That's how I recycle my clothes throughout the years.

I come from Czech Republic where is a huge second-hand market. When I moved to UK I was shocked how many clothes people buy. Especially brands like Primark or H&M need to be stopped!

I once bought a grey cashmere sweater from one of these markets for 300ksh (3 dollars). The tag said Prada and it served me for years. I get M&S sweaters for 70( 70 c) That's why we love second hand

On the other hand, second hand and imported clothing smothered local textile and garment manufacturers

when I was young we so poor we used to wear army surplus I was dressed as a Japanese admiral for several years, my sister dressed as an American fireman

"The more we earn the more people we can help" - after they've paid themselves a fantastic salary first

This practice has destroyed local textile initiatives rendering them financially unfeasible.Local indigenous knowledge on how to fabricate cloth from local plants is disappearing. The same thing occurred to the rice industry, huge farms grow so much that prices are suppressed making it cheaper to import than grow locally not only destroying local market but creating a dependency on foreign sources.The path of least resistance and sad to say Greed and Control.

Wtf I thought the clothes I donated were given to people in places like Senegal for free! I am shocked that they have to pay for them! That defeats the entire purpose of why I gave them away man.

Thank you for the documentary! I hope within a few years the world including us will figure out a better way to recycle clothes and other items. as well as stop producing and consuming so much! Ironically, so many people get depressed from living in cluttered spaces.

I feel this is bit of an good weather documentary. Yes there is part of our donations sold and reused, but loads go into landfill or being burned because we buy so much clothes that there isn’t just enough demand for all those donated clothes. And also the total clothing business for the local people is completely destroyed because we ship all our stuff to them. So everyone buys those cheap (poor quality ) second hand clothes that we ship but the clothes made in that country won’t sell because it’s to expensive now. I am totally for recycling, but there is just to much. And we just dump our problem to those country’s and tell ourselves we do good. So stop buying so much, buy things that you will love for a long time and buy better quality. And than donate in normal amounts so it’s truly helpful for those countries and the people who really need it. And al so pretty important don’t destroy the planet even further.

Well this is better than throwing them into the garbage and ending at landfills. I didn't know that most clothing ends up in Africa but whatever. I rather see my old clothes being recycled in some way even if someone makes money out of it in the process then it ending up on a landfill.

5 billion in revenue for second hand clothes. Not a bit of wonder we’re encouraged to shop shop shop.

23:22 "Clothing habits here have also changed over time" **shows a kid wearing no clothes**

Sad people can nor wear traditional clothes anymore and instead cheap Chinese ones :(

I stop buying clothes for a year. I Have less number of clothes than my husband.

In India every cloth passes from elder to his siblings to extended family elder to their younger to Holi festival dress to Floor cleaning. After this, there's no value left 😅 Truely Indian lifestyle is very sustainable.

I am from Nagaland,India and a big fan of Second hand cloths.... 😊😊

Stop being bitter. You want someone to deal with your unwanted clothes and you want them to do it for free? Seriously? You think people can live without money? There’s no point to pretend you are angry for your kind heart being wasted. Why don’t you people face the truth, you don’t donate the clothes because you are kind, you just donate them because you don’t want them.

I met a preacher from Africa and asked how I could help and his answer surprised me.. " quit sending stuff! the people wait for the care packages and no longer work for what they need since they are getting it for free."

Sad to see again women do the hard work whilst men skim the profit

Garage sale, donations to local church or low income families we know, friends and families, neighbors, also we do exchange parties during our Winter seasons, anything but giving it up to so called charities.

I hardly ever buy clothing, because I wear uniform to work 5 days a week and on the weekends I wear breeches and old t-shirts to The Stables. So glad I'm not a victim of fashion!

We donate the clothing for the poor, yet it is stolen and sold for profit. I have seen this in Africa where lack of clothing means being cold at night and shamed during the day. Heartbreaking. Who steals what was donated to the poor? Why don't donation agencies ensure donations reach the poor, are they ttakinv kickbacks? Disgusting.

I live in Thailand and i buy a lot of these clothes. Some is OK but a lot has stains, tears, rips, mainly coffee/feces stains. Who wants to wear that

NGO’s have shareholders? I thought orgs involved in this kind of work were not for profit , and I would imagine most of the public would be of the same understanding .

That’s scandalous to deceive the public for profit

The best solution is to design clothes that can be recycled again and again. The problem is that most of fast fashion companies continue to produce garments which are designed to end up to developing countries' second-hand markets...

16:12 now that! is a brilliant idea, love his work :)

Same happens with money donations...long way to go everyone wants a bit of it and very little gets to the place should.

I'm in America I buy my clothes from The Salvation Army the locals depend on me to always wear the newest styles

UKAY-UKAY we called it in the Philippines. Second hand clothes are a big business here.

The creations of Sallah Barker are outstanding!!

I personally will not purchase brand new clothing anymore. I also will donate to shelters, find families or hold on for clothing swaps before bringing to thrift stores.

I am thankful they generate jobs and are recycled around third world nations.

"A rug for old women to put over their knees" Uuuuh, so, a blanket

Someone has to pay for the transportation costs. Plus, it provides many jobs.

This is why my family chooses to send unwanted clothes back home or give to friends before choosing to donate. As you never know where the clothes end up.

Thank you !

I love how he employs alot of women .. I always wear second hand clothes,,, it feels great to know my purchase most probably goes a long way to help another woman.

We have these second hand clothes stores in Manila particularly in Bambang Street ,Sta.Cruz since the American colonization of the Philippines around WW1 & 2 according to my grandmother. The market extend to Baguio City just in the 1980's and unto the whole country in the 90's. Second hand clothes and appliances are big business in the Philippines now, and our government is rethinking of allowing more of these businesses after a decade of prohibition.

Thank you

I am in the US and I end up donating old clothes to these bins. I know full well they will be recycled or sold wherever. It is either that or put them in a dumpster. If I can get rid of them and someone can make a few dollars, then so be it.

Those donation bins are a scam. Donate directly to charities.

Don’t donate items that are stained, ripped or not in good condition, like those with broken zippers, etc. Respect the dignity of those people who receive them!

This is an acceptable clothing life cycle. Rather then having them end up in landfills at least its used by someone. And if someone makes money from them it just proves capitalism works

That was very interesting. What a journey and so many jobs created. It revalues the original pieces in so many ways including discounts. Nice

What disgusts me is the excessive amount of clothing sold in department stores such as Macy's and others. When there's a sale - and there always is - the clothes overflow on the floors, are draped over each other, trampled under racks. And it's all so disposable. None of it is particularly well-made - designed for one or two seasons before the latest 'trend' comes along. Gluttonous consumption.

People donate, these people sell. No harm done!

This trade has destroyed the textile manufacturing sector in africa

Contrary to most comments here, I feel that this is a positive story, taking note of the need for cheap clothing in other lands and looking at all of the jobs created by this global trade in secondhand textiles. . This is a positive tale in a time when most attempts at recycling products such as plastic items for example have failed miserably.

I live in the states and my mother is from the Philippines. A lot of my hand me downs were sent to my relatives in the Philippines who are not so fortunate. From there they will really use the clothes until it's worn out to the max.

Thiefs, period.

I am aware that the second hand shop I love sells clothes that have been donated in Germany and have travelled more than 1000 kilometers to reach me. I wish it wasn't like that, but I will continue shopping there, as I still rather buy those second hand clothes than support the huge sweatshops

AND HERE I AM. I CAN HARDLY AFFORD TO BUY 2ND HAND CLOTHES!

These donated things destroys local economy

I am originally from Kenya. I did grow up wearing second-hand clothing even though my parents could afford new ones. Every single piece of clothing was different and I liked that. Nowadays, I don't buy new clothes unless it is necessary. But I am sorry to see that people are making millions on the back of poor people.

wel i for one feel duped ,I often was forcing myself to give up clothes for the poor , I certainly did not think for a moment that those clothes i donated would be on sale in boutiques or to be sold to the poor no i parted with my thing because i had been conned into thinking poor people would be given for free the things i gave for free ,i am going to tell every one i know the truth about this ,it disgusts me that this man is making millions from people like me giving generously our things ,when they are being sold to make money for this man i am not hapy i wish i never gave my lovely things now

This is why I donate locally to schools for my kids clothes. We have too m as my kids in out school systems that need clothes to wear to school. More teacher's need to help the students understand where their things go to. And how it is distributed or destroying out world.

I thought some uncles from USA sent them to Imphal, Manipur,India as a Xmas present 😔

I am so glad that all this is happening to my old cloths! I really want them to find more uses elsewhere. It is nice to know that that is happening

They selling second hand clothes is the best idea.. They helping for poor poeple to buy cheap clothes

Nowadays with fast fashion, everybody buys too many clothes that do not last a long time, people just buy buy and buy, to fulfill something inside of them, then they donate or throw them away and keep buying, as they said on this video, it’s a full circle. And people make money out of all these clothes, it’s a very very strange world we live in where money makes the world go round.

I'm never donating to "charity" organisations like these anymore.

the tide is turning .People are living with less

Extremely interesting documentary!!

I've seen the similar scene in Paniput,India. Recycled clothes shredded then turn into yarn/thread then woven into blankets and sent overseas again for sale..incredible story of many people behind it to make it happen...the workers dreamt of seeing with their eyes how the clothes get pile up and who wore them 😃

Nice documentary.. thanks

AMEN?! for this! ❤🙇🙏 an old saying 'one man's junk is another one's treasure'... this is a beautiful way of recycling where everyone benefits with jobs and style at reasonable pricing and even those that aren't quite saleable are still able to be used...SPOT ON! i do this sort of thing myself for our homeless and disadvantaged... in the wake of my best friend who passed away and was a homeless Veteran... i continue my work in his memory... caring for those in need of love... i get donations from friends and aquaintances and other organizations to distribute at our local community park where our homeless gather... along with surplus food of canned and packaged items as well... thanks so much for this beautiful documentary... it's very moving...❤🙇🙏 bless you!

They wear their clothes for a month and they don't need to reuse them in your own country? So everyone is rich in Paris?

I can't understand why anyone would buy new clothing.

Am from kenya and I like buying second hand clothes I wish I could reach there so that I cn buy more to help poor people around me..

I love that man's remade fashion

It pisses me off that people are selling in clothes to poor people in other countries . Also in England charity shops , sell donated goods at a stupid price , like a t shirt that I can buy new , is nearly the same price in some charity shops , people are employed by the charity shops to sort out the designer brands and they charge accordingly , . I’m just saying that I want to pay a fair price in a goodwill store . I donate my things to them , I do my bit

These are not "old" clothes as the title of this article describes. They are just USED. THank you

I stopped in the medina in sfax for a month. Mad to think my old clothes may have gone back there

My sister works for a local thrift store in the Midwest of America - and we can not get over the amount of clothes that are donated because they are dirty!!! If people just washed their clothes they could keep them!!! Sometimes we launder them in our house and take them back to sell because they are too nice to shred for insulation. Seems very wasteful; too much excess! PS-- this thrift store has 3 employees (grant money for wages) and ALL of the money goes to the local food pantry - nobody is getting rich off these donations.

I like the stylist in Tunis. At least he is doing something creative and special. Thumbs up for him.

Wherever there's suffering, someone is profiting

Interesting but it's missing the part showing second hand lower grade clothing is dumped in places like Ghana. These unwanted clothes are burnt, burried or end up in rivers and the sea. We should value and treasure clothing more in the West.

I tried finding any online presence of that clothing designer in Tunis, but had no luck :( anybody know how his name is written?

Affordable clothing is much appreciated.

I lived in Costa Rica for seven years. I would go by bus for two hours just to get to the second hand store!

Very interesting!

I’m at least glad it’s not adding to the worlds waste problem.

I found out long ago that our donations were not going where they implied they were. I have since made my own business of selling my used clothes and most of my own clothes are 2nd hand from local thrift stores and garage sales. I am lucky enough to know how to make and refashion the rest.

Sadly, the people that worked their fingers to the bone to produce the cotton to make the clothing, receive rags back for their clothing. I hardly call that coming full circle.