1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stuff Mom Never told you? 3 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: From House stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:22,639 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Caroline, and I'm Kristin Um Kristen. I 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: like to donate things to goodwill, not necessarily to help people, 6 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,479 Speaker 1: although I'm glad that's a part of it, but mainly 7 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:36,840 Speaker 1: because I have a tendency to love shopping women women 8 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: be shopping, Caroline b shopping, Caroline Bie shopping, and I 9 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: end up buying things that are maybe a little too 10 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: trendy for me, something that maybe doesn't fit right, and 11 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: I think it'll fit better later inexplicably, And so I 12 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,279 Speaker 1: end up keeping a bag in my closet at all 13 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: times that I can just throw stuff into for goodwill, 14 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: And especially when I move, I end up taking like 15 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: sex and stuff over there, and probably while you're clearing 16 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: out closet space, you know, and it's more of like 17 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: an organizational thing at first. I'm sure there's a moment 18 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: when you drop those clothes off you're like patting yourself 19 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: on the back a little bit, being like, hey, off 20 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: to a better off, to a better place somebody's going 21 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: to enjoy this and Taylor skirt and where it's to 22 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: their job. Spoiler alert everybody, We shouldn't be patting ourselves 23 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: on the back so much because you might be surprised 24 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: about what happens to all of those clothes. In particular, 25 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: we're focusing on clothing donations that you might drop off 26 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: at your local thrift store. And what first caught our 27 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: attention was a June nineteenth article on Slate which was 28 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: an excerpt from Elizabeth Klein's book Overdressed, the Shockingly High 29 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: Cost of Cheap Fashion, And this excerpt was focusing on, uh, 30 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: this enormous salvation army in Brooklyn that processes five tons 31 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: of clothes thing every day and a ton more during 32 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: the holidays, because typically the holidays are when clothing donations 33 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: will spike. And in this salvation army, they choose eleven 34 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: two garments per day to divvy up among the eight 35 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: thrift stores they've served. And then if things sit on 36 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: the rack toolong once they're in the stores, they are 37 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 1: sent to the rag cut room, were closed or put 38 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 1: into a compressor that squeezes out half ton cubes. And 39 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: then these halfson cubes the way that that she describes it, 40 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: it sounds like the warehouse in Indiana Jones, you know 41 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: when they put the ark in that box and like 42 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: it pans back and there's just millions of boxes and 43 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: that tiny little thing. But they put out eighteen tons 44 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: worth of clothing bales every three days, which blows my mind. 45 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: How is it even possible that people are buying and 46 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:57,119 Speaker 1: consequently subsequently therefore thus getting rid of that many clothes. 47 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 1: It boggles the mind because Americans be shopping. We'd be shopping, yeah, 48 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: and actually you're used clothes end up getting sold most 49 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: of the time, not given away to help people. This 50 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: is according to a December two thousand, sixth story on 51 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:15,399 Speaker 1: ABC news dot com. Charitable organizations only keep about ten 52 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: percent of the donations, which is the best quality stuff, 53 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: the stuff that's not torn or soil, the vintage stuff, 54 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 1: the designer label stuff to sell to other Americans. Other 55 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: other people go into the thrift store or the consignment 56 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: shop to buy the stuff. The remaining is gets sold 57 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: by the charitable institution to places like textile recycling firms 58 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: for about five to seven cents per pound. Yeah. According 59 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: to members of the Secondary Recycled Textiles Association uh their industry, 60 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: the recycling. The textile recycling industry buys up hundreds of 61 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: millions of dollars worth of clothing every year, and then 62 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: the recyclers will turn the clothing into cleaning claws and 63 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: other industrial items so that they can reap a profit. Right, 64 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: And could think like, all right, well, so it's a 65 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: little bit wasteful to keep buying so many clothes and 66 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: then just ship them off to wherever. But you know 67 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: what all this recycling is it possibly helping the environment 68 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: um And the answer to that is, well, maybe a 69 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: little bit, a little bit. I mean, you know, we're 70 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: talking about textile recycling. Recycling is you know, a good word, right, 71 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: That's what we want to to do with our things. 72 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: We don't want to just throw them away. But according 73 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 1: to the Council for Textile Recycling, they estimate that two 74 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: point five billion pounds of post consumer textile waste is 75 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: collected and prevented from directly entering the wast stream. Two 76 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: point five billion pounds. That's a lot of pounds not 77 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: ending up in the waste stream. But bad news, folks, 78 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: that's only about fifteen percent of all of those pencil 79 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: skirts and jeans and vests and unfortunate sweaters that we're 80 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: dumping off. So it has to go somewhere, like they're 81 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 1: they're reaches a critical point and it has to pop 82 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 1: and go somewhere. So we've got all these clothes that's 83 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: sit in the thrift stores, but you know, like you said, 84 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: they only stay there for a certain amount of time. 85 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: Some of them end up recycled, some of them end 86 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: up as you know, like industrial whatever whatever. Where does 87 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: the rest of it go? Well, it's shipped overseas, which 88 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 1: isn't terribly surprising, but I was mind boggled to learn 89 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: that by one estimate, this is according to Elizabeth Klein 90 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: and her book Overdressed. By one estimate, use clothing is 91 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 1: the United States number one export by volume, and most 92 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: of it heads straight to Sub Saharan Africa. Yeah, that 93 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:44,359 Speaker 1: is pretty mind boggling considering, I mean considering you just 94 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: think of industry, You think of manufacturing, You don't think 95 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: of bales of clothing. Yeah, going to people gap T 96 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: shirts and whatnot. Um Japan is actually the largest buyer 97 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: in terms of dollars of vintage or American high end fashion. 98 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,919 Speaker 1: That's according to a T Cousan seven Environmental Health Perspective study. 99 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: And I don't know, they're just like rating our closets 100 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: for for vintage stuff. I guess it's hot over there. Well, 101 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: And so much of the fashion also will end up 102 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: in Africa. But the used clothing market has become increasingly 103 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: demanding for higher quality and fashion forward styles. Yeah, Western 104 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: media has now infiltrated, and you know they want to 105 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: emulate the kinds of high end brands and looks that 106 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: we're wearing around right. Um, so okay, all right, So 107 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: we send a lot of clothes to Africa, a lot 108 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 1: of clothes end up over there in their markets and such, 109 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: Um is this a bad thing? Are we? Are we 110 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:47,159 Speaker 1: helping people by giving those less fortunate clothing to wear? Right, 111 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: because it seems like it seems like a good cause. 112 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: A lot of charities focus around sending clothes specifically to Africa. 113 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: But the thing that we might not realize is that 114 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: while we might think that we are doing a good 115 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: thing by donating and that it's okay that all of 116 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: this used clothing is flooding African markets, it's actually undercutting 117 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: and even destroying local textile markets in Africa. Right, This 118 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: is coming from Mary and Nana Ama Donqua. In the 119 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: Route from two thousand nine, she said that it's the 120 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: whole old colonial mentality of ours is better than yours, 121 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: kind of a whole like hand me down from your 122 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: older sister to your younger sister, and that while we 123 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: may think we're helping, we're actually hurting a lot of 124 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: people who have ended up losing their jobs in the 125 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: local textile industries. She says that for instance, in Kenya, 126 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: used the used clothing industry is the country's seventh largest import, 127 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: and in Malawi, Mozambique and Uganda, large textile companies have 128 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: ended up either going into bankruptcy or just closing all together. Yeah, 129 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: this isn't some kind of philosophical debate over the developed 130 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: world infiltrating the developing world and ruining everything because America 131 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: is terrible. But I mean, it seems like if you 132 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: look at say Zambia, where textile workers have staged strikes 133 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: to promote awareness of them losing their jobs because of 134 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: all this used clothing and all of the demand for it. 135 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: And in Ghana, the government actually announced a program called 136 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: National Friday Wear, which encourages all citizens to dress in 137 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: traditional clothes as a way to honor their own local 138 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: customs but also reinvigorate textile trades there right. Neil Kearney, 139 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 1: who was the General Secretary of the International Textile Garment 140 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: and Leather Workers Federation, told ABC News basically he agrees 141 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: with Don Qua when he says that it is neo 142 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: colonialism in its purest form. It's exporting poverty to Africa, 143 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: a continent that is already exceedingly poor. And you definitely 144 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:57,439 Speaker 1: have to look at attitudes toward both the imported used 145 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: clothing and the more traditional tire because, for instance, like 146 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: younger people are more drawn, like we talked about with 147 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: the media, younger people are more drawn to the Western clothes, 148 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: and they're not just going towards any Western clothes. I 149 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: mean they want to go to the market and pick 150 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: out the stuff that's you know, on trend. Yeah, And 151 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: these markets are actually referred to as bend over markets 152 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: because literally you go in there and bend down and 153 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: sift through piles and piles of all of these clothes. 154 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: And it's referred to often as dead white people's clothes 155 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: because culturally they feel like only death could separate white 156 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: people from such nice clothing. Yeah, in Togo it's called 157 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,959 Speaker 1: dead Yovo clothing, dead white person clothing. In Ghana, I'm 158 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: not sure if I'm pronouncing this right. Brownie wah woh 159 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: white man has died. And so you have this sort 160 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: of losing, this getting out of touch with the traditional attire, 161 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: which is why I like in Ghana they had that 162 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: National Friday Wear event. But um, they point out that 163 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: traditional clothes do have meaning, like the same thing with 164 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 1: you know, Scottish tartan, you know, can symbolize your clan 165 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: or whatever. Um. Many designs have names, contained stories, document events. 166 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: They're even used as a part of dowry that a 167 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 1: male suitor presents to the woman's family and some are 168 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: handed down from one generation to another. Yeah, and just 169 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: to reiterate, um, how all of us use clothing and 170 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: it really it traces back to our consumer culture of 171 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: consuming cheap fashion that we don't necessarily need and discarding 172 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: a lot of it. Um. To understand just how much 173 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: this is having an effect on industry in Africa, a 174 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: two thousand eight University of Toronto study found that use 175 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: clothing exports have explained about fort of decline in apparel 176 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: production in Africa. And fifty percent of the decline and 177 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:53,680 Speaker 1: employment in that same industry from to two thousand. Yeah, 178 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 1: so there's a lot of clothes. Those are some staggering stats. Yeah, well, 179 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: it's interesting that back to that environmental health perspective study 180 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 1: from two thousand seven, I didn't I guess I just 181 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: always thought of good will as existing and people have 182 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: always donated the same amount of clothes. But apparently since 183 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: two thousand one, good will industries have seen a sixty 184 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 1: seven increase in its sale of donated goods, most of 185 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:17,719 Speaker 1: its clothing, And that probably has something to do with 186 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 1: like tax breaks well and also the recession. I'm sure 187 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: that people are shopping at thrift stores possibly more often 188 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,839 Speaker 1: than they are. But also I'm one to shop for 189 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: shop at thrift stores as well for clothes. But I 190 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: will tell you what, Like I have to confess that 191 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 1: half the time I will buy up a bunch of stuff, 192 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: a lot of dresses and skirts and probably unfortunate vests, 193 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: and because it's so cheap at the thrift store, and 194 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:48,079 Speaker 1: you can find like interesting kitchy stuff, but a lot 195 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: of times, like I'll end up redonating most of what 196 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: I get because it's that cheap fashion even still one 197 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: thing that I was thinking of this not not entirely 198 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: off topic, but it just made me think of buying 199 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 1: things at a thrift store and then bringing them back. 200 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 1: But it seems like a good thing to do in 201 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:10,679 Speaker 1: this case. Since African markets are flooded, you know, companies 202 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: aren't taking as many items to recycle and create new items. 203 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: I mean, maybe the best option is to just have 204 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 1: clothing swaps with your friends. Yeah. I really got thinking 205 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,079 Speaker 1: about that because I have. I mean, when I moved 206 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: out of Augusta, I mean I've been there for four years. 207 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 1: I lived in a two bedroom apartment by myself. You 208 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: accumulate some stuff, and I mean I took sacks of 209 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: stuff to Goodwill, and I just wonder, you know, if 210 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: I had gotten people together and been like, okay, let's 211 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: hang up all the clothes according to size and put 212 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: all the kitschy whatever items together and just like swap 213 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,080 Speaker 1: just take things. I feel like it's less wasteful. Yeah, 214 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 1: maybe thinking about reusing before recycling. Yeah. Um, And it's 215 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,559 Speaker 1: great to get close from your friends because usually it's 216 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 1: you know, fun, and well it's free. So that's what 217 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: And I managed to give my toaster and a desk 218 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 1: to a friend of mine before I left to go stuff. 219 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 1: So see I didn't have to take everything to goodwill. 220 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 1: Good for you. Uh yeah, just reflecting how much, uh 221 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: we not only are buying more and more and more, 222 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 1: but the export of use clothing from the US has 223 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: nearly tripled between two three, and I have a feeling 224 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: that's according to the International Trade Commission that the number 225 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: has probably only gone up since then too. Yeah, well, 226 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: I thought it was interesting to Slate. The Elizabeth Klein 227 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: excerpt in Slate pointed out that charities do see a 228 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,319 Speaker 1: ton of clothes donated with the tag still on. So 229 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 1: we're buying all these clothes and we're not actually using them, 230 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: wearing them, we're just getting rid of them. And you 231 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,199 Speaker 1: know what, Caroline, we gotta talk straight to the ladies. 232 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 1: Right now, women will be shopping too much. Okay, when 233 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:53,680 Speaker 1: it comes to who is buying up more clothes and 234 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: who's donating more of these clothes, it is above and 235 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: beyond women who are constant cleaning out their closets, right yeah, 236 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: Slate side of the shop Smart survey that one in 237 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:12,199 Speaker 1: four American women owned seven pairs of jeans. I'm not 238 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,959 Speaker 1: gonna say anything about that. From my closet seven pairs 239 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 1: of jeans, but we're only four regularly. And according to 240 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: that Environmental Health Perspective study, women in the West tend 241 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: to buy much more clothing and discard it more often 242 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: than men do, and the world supply of used women's 243 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: clothing is at least seven times that of men. Yeah, 244 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 1: because they just they're like, I'm gonna go to T 245 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: J max and buy some socks. And you know, it's 246 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: another unfortunate confession that I have to make. Not only 247 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 1: do I have those excess jeans sitting in my my bureau, 248 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: I've also got excess jeggings. It only gets worse. I well, 249 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: you know, I can't even tell you Kristen and I 250 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: are both sitting here in V neck T shirts. I 251 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:57,760 Speaker 1: have an excess of V neck T shirts in my 252 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: closet too. It's little silly. Uh Yeah. Just to hammer 253 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: this home even more, we're gonna beat you over the 254 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: head with statistics. Clothing statistics Today environmental journalist Lucy Siegel, 255 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: who wrote to Die for his fashion wearing out the world, 256 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: and then you can probably guess through the answers. Yes, 257 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: she found that the average woman buys about sixty two 258 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 1: pounds of clothing each year. And and not only that, 259 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: the amount, the size of our closets has only grown 260 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: um and the the number of items clothing items that 261 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 1: women have today is four times that a woman in Yeah, 262 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 1: I have a huge closet. Do you ever go into 263 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: old houses or old apartments and see teeny tiny closets? 264 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: I'm like, how do these people live? I have an 265 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: incredibly small closet and it is, but it's bursting at 266 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: it seems from all those jeggings. Well. The according to 267 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal in two thousand nine, 268 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: they were trying to answer the question of why people 269 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: doing and we kind of touched on this before you know, 270 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: you think you're helping people or you just need to 271 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: clean out your closet. They found that the primary motivation 272 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: for participants used clothing donation behavior is the need to 273 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: create space in the closet for something new, not to 274 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: help people necessarily, not to get a tax break or whatever, 275 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: but just to create space for more clothing. Well, and 276 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: then there's a whole do gooder aspect of it as well, 277 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: because a lot of times these are charities and this 278 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: is not us lambasting Goodwill or Salvation Army or thrift 279 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: stores in general. Um, but because it is seen as 280 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: a good thing to do. And hey, you're sending clothes 281 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: over to Africa, Like okay, that sounds like a good 282 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: thing to do as well. And when ABC News interviewed 283 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 1: people on the street who are donating clothes and said, hey, 284 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 1: did you know that this is actually where your clothes go, 285 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: They're like, well, I'm still I'm still going to donate. 286 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: Like what else do we do? Yeah, well, I mean 287 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: another option, I guess. And and this would definitely be 288 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: a question for our listeners to who might be involved 289 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: in charities or uh giving. I mean, maybe there are 290 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: other organizations more local to you know, maybe like women's shelters, 291 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 1: UM homeless shelters, homeless shelters. There's in Marietta, where I'm from, 292 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: there's a place called Must Ministries that doesn't actually charge 293 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: people to buy things. You know, you can kind of 294 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 1: just go in there and and shop if you don't 295 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: have the means to pay. Yeah. And I was rooting 296 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: around for any kinds of tips on responsible sustainable clothing donation, 297 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: and there really wasn't anything out there. Aside from try 298 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:37,440 Speaker 1: to pass it off, put it in the hands of 299 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: somebody else, gets someone some more used out of it. 300 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,120 Speaker 1: But really, at the end of the day, it boils 301 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: down to our consumer behavior and the way that the 302 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 1: cheap fashion industry especially has blown up. And it's so 303 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: easy to go and you buy a new top for 304 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: a little pick me up and it's only you know, 305 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 1: a few bucks really, and then when it gets about it, yeah, 306 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: well when it gets a tear in it a month later, 307 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: you're like, you don't feel guilty about either throwing it 308 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 1: in the good will pile or throwing it in the 309 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: trash can because it doesn't cost us a lot, you know, 310 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 1: but it's costing people elsewhere their livelihood. So things to 311 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:19,440 Speaker 1: think about. And for this one, I really hope that 312 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 1: we can hear from some listeners who might have some 313 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: suggestions for things to do, creative ways and sustainable ways 314 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: to donate your clothes. But really we need to have 315 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: a little more willpower when it comes to all our shopping. 316 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: We don't need to be shopping so much. Yeah, and 317 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 1: I mean this, we could go on and on about 318 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: this topic. I mean, there are groups of women who 319 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: have you know, committed to not shopping for a year, 320 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: you know, not adding to their closets. There was some 321 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,440 Speaker 1: woman I wish I could remember the specifics, some woman 322 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:49,439 Speaker 1: profiled in a magazine. She was going to wear the 323 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: same dress every day for a year and just style 324 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: it differently. Well, and that's the thing too. It's also 325 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: we should probably change our approach to how we select clothes, 326 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,200 Speaker 1: buying for quality that can last you for a long 327 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:07,360 Speaker 1: time rather than trendy, cheap, gonna fall apart pretty soon 328 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 1: anyway kind of stuff. And that can be hard to remember, 329 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: especially when the better quality stuff is more expensive, you know, 330 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: and you want to buy out soda pop. Also when 331 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,439 Speaker 1: you're at the mall, it's thorty, Yeah, how can you? 332 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: How can you buy a nice dress and a soda pop? 333 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 1: I'll tackle we'll tackle that burning question in another episode, 334 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: but in the meantime, listeners, please write in let us 335 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: know what you think and anyone out there who might 336 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,880 Speaker 1: work for um a chair and associated with clothing donation 337 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 1: is just something that comes up. Let us know all 338 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: of your thoughts. Mom Stuff discovery dot com is where 339 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 1: you can email us if you like, and of course 340 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: you can always head over to Facebook and leave us 341 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: a comment there, And we've got a couple of listener emails, 342 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:55,200 Speaker 1: one of which starts out from a long ago podcast 343 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: about whether or not you can marry your cousin. Right 344 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:02,159 Speaker 1: this is for Shelley. She said that she had just 345 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: listened to that podcast and had avoided it for some 346 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 1: time as I was a bit uncertain what to expect. 347 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:09,639 Speaker 1: I am the product of first cousin parents, as is 348 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: my sister. Neither of us are sickly, nor do we 349 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: have any genetic defects that I'm aware of. To be fair, 350 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: most of my family line is fairly healthy. But I 351 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: have had to endure entirely too much ridicule about being 352 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: inbred by people who I believe could have benefited from 353 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 1: more lessons in manners. Now I generally tell people if 354 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: it comes up, although I'm usually not want to raise 355 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,680 Speaker 1: the topic, that if they value me as a friend, 356 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 1: they better not laugh, and if they are jerks, I 357 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,920 Speaker 1: will punch them in the faith. So far, I've never 358 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: had to do this. I am glad that you took 359 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,439 Speaker 1: an objective look at the issue. I personally have no 360 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: cousins I want to marry. Plus I'm already married but 361 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 1: do not see it as particularly aberrant. It does make 362 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: sense from an anthropological perspective. Before the world of online dating, 363 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:54,439 Speaker 1: and even before license matchmakers to marry someone similar to 364 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 1: you culturally, my parents did consult doctors about the genetic 365 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: factors of having children, but so far my sister and 366 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:02,680 Speaker 1: I seem as well adjusted as can be expected in 367 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:07,360 Speaker 1: this economy. Well, I have one here from Wren, who 368 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: is a self professed manic pixie dream girl who loves flowers, kitties, 369 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: and fuzzy pink sweaters and does custom knitting and sewing, 370 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: which sounds very fun. She writes. The first few times 371 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 1: I saw mpdgs in movies and on TV, I was 372 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 1: charmed and amused, and I got pretty used to friends 373 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:27,159 Speaker 1: calling me to tell me how much Natalie Portman or 374 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: Zoe Deschanel's character reminded them of me. At first, it 375 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: was flattering. Who wouldn't want people to equate them with 376 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: such talented, lovely ladies? But I would love to be 377 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: compared to these particular actresses for other reasons. How about 378 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 1: Portman's amazing scientific CV or Decchannell's success as a musician. 379 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: Over time, I've found that the stereotype has grown extremely stifling. 380 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: Mpdgs are so frequently portrayed as having such care free, 381 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: trouble free lives that people have started to get baffled 382 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 1: and recently even upset. When I have troubles in my life, 383 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,199 Speaker 1: I'm expected to have no more urgent a crisis than 384 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: the crafts are having the exact right, fluffy, sparkly yarn, 385 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: or being stuck in another state without bus fare because 386 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: I planned an excursion poorly. When I have real troubles 387 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: with my family, my work life, my home life, or 388 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 1: really anything serious, people act put out as if it 389 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 1: were my responsibility to be always accessible and upbeat, ready 390 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: to cheer them up or shake them out of their ruts. 391 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: All in all, I don't think that the MPDG stereotype 392 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: is harmful per se, but the fact that she is 393 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: only ever shown as a care free accessory to a 394 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:32,120 Speaker 1: male protagonist is leading to society making unfair judgments women 395 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 1: who espouse similar views on life or who hold overlapping interests. Really, 396 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 1: even when women who just like to be girly are 397 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: being held to unrealistic expectations of behavior. More disturbing is 398 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: that I think that as the trend progresses. Women who 399 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: don't have any genuine interests in certain hobbies or who 400 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: don't want such a whimsical lifestyle are being drawn into 401 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:53,640 Speaker 1: falsely portraying themselves in such a manner to attract attention 402 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:56,400 Speaker 1: and accolades. There's nothing wrong with doing what you love, 403 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: but I feel like it's extremely dangerous to society as 404 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: a whole if any segment of the population is expected 405 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 1: to fit such a mold. So thanks to Wren and 406 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: everybody else who has written in mom Stuff at Discovery 407 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: dot Com is where you can email us. You can 408 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: also find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter 409 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 1: at mom Stuff Podcast, and you can read a blog 410 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,880 Speaker 1: post I did called how to Recycle your Underwear Speaking 411 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:28,399 Speaker 1: of clothing donations at how stuff works dot com for 412 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 1: more on this and thousands of other topics. Does it 413 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot Com brought to you by the 414 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,120 Speaker 1: reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. It's ready, are you