Donated clothes reveal a hidden waste crisis and a call to rethink consumption

Donating clothes may feel virtuous, but charities are overwhelmed, many garments are unsellable or shipped abroad, and global textile waste remains a problem. A Nature Cities study across nine wealthy cities shows oversupply and overconsumption driving tens of millions of tons of waste, worsened by fast-fashion. The piece advocates sufficiency—buying less and using what we own longer—plus city-led reforms for local collection, repair, and reuse, and urges individuals to slow consumption and support thrift stores and clothing swaps.