What happens to Singapore's unwanted clothes?

Singapore's unwanted clothes go through a multi-step process after being placed in textile recycling bins. Around 450 yellow recycling bins are located across the island, collecting approximately 60 tonnes of clothing weekly and up to 70 tonnes during peak seasons. These clothes are sent to Life Line Clothing in Port Klang, Malaysia, where they are sorted for resale, reuse, or recycling.

At the facility, workers categorize the garments based on factors like condition, fabric composition, quality, and style. About 300 workers sort the clothes into around 500 categories, determining their fate based on buyer demand. Most resellable clothes are lightweight summer wear and children's clothing, while branded garments in good condition are also highly sought after.

Half of the processed clothing can be resold, with the rest turned into industrial wiping cloths, rugs, recycled textile materials, or burned for electricity generation.

However, half of the material entering the recycling system is processed for little or no commercial return due to rising freight, labour, and logistics costs, as well as falling secondhand clothing values. Heavy curtains, blankets, and contaminated garments are particularly difficult to resell. Fast-fashion items also present challenges as the price of new clothing is often cheaper than secondhand clothing.

Despite the growth in Singapore's secondhand fashion market, with Refash operating 17 stores and processing over 500,000 pieces a month, consumers are encouraged to first consider buying less, reusing, and repairing their existing garments.