The apparel recycling process

For-profit recyclers are located in developed countries and sort used clothing for the various markets around the world. The Office of Textiles and Apparel reports that the United States exports US 690million annually of worn clothing (Category 6309) to countries around the world (International Trade Administration, 2014). Worn apparel exports from OECD countries were valued at over US 1.9 billion in 2009 (UN Comtrade, 2011). But these numbers are likely to be an underestimate of the total international trade in used clothing (Brooks and Simon, 2014). 

Authors have argued that when used clothing is shipped to Africa it has had a negative impact on the local apparel production (Frazer, 2008 Koyi, 2006 Patel, 2004 Webster, 2003). Brooks and Simon systematically investigated the impact of used 

Recent trade laws between the US Department of Commerce and East African countries (Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya) resulted in a 300% import tax. The Tanzanian government, for example, cited the following concerns  

Bales should not exceed 50kg (most US companies bale in 600-pound bales). 

Health certificate to provide country of origin is free of diseases. 

---