Thrift stores: Helping save the planet with sustainable fashion
As fast fashion floods the planet with waste, Chennai's Wasted 360 Solutions is redefining clothing consumption — one second-hand garment at a time
Every second, a truckload of clothes is dumped into a landfill somewhere in the world. Much of it is barely used, perfectly wearable — and wasted. That’s the hidden cost of chasing fleeting fashion trends over long-lasting quality.
Globally, over 100 billion new garments are produced annually. Yet, 92 million tons of textile waste are discarded each year — equivalent to one garbage truck of clothes dumped every single second. India alone contributes around 8 million tons. Even worse, only 12 per cent of these textiles are ever recycled.
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This growing mountain of waste isn’t just a visual eyesore — it's an ecological disaster. As dyes and chemicals leach into soil and water, a solution feels urgently needed. Enter: the thrift store.
What is a thrift store?
A thrift store isn’t just a resale shop. It redefines waste. It gives discarded clothes and accessories a second life while empowering local communities.
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Ben, co-founder of Wasted 360 Solutions, explains their mission: “We don’t just recycle. We redefine waste. Every month, we collect 20 to 30 tons of discarded material from clothes and books to jewelry and even movie props. But only 2-3 per cent of this goes to our store. The rest? It’s donated, repurposed, or upcycled, often directly into the hands of those who need it most.”
These stores don't just put items on shelves.
“We clean, sort, filter, send the clothes for laundry and we repair them and mend them if they're damaged and we put them up for sale in the store,” says Ben.
Community changemakers
Over 250 women, mainly from Semmencherry and Kannagi Nagar in Chennai, are involved in Byte's operations. These “skilled changemakers” are the backbone of the process — cleaning, sorting, laundering, and repairing items that others might consider waste.
The impact goes beyond the environment, it supports livelihoods and builds awareness about conscious consumption.
But can this initiative slow down the fast-paced engine of modern fashion?
The fast fashion problem
In just 15 years, the number of times a garment is worn has dropped by 36 per cent. Fast fashion encourages buying more, wearing less, and tossing out quickly — all in the name of trends.
The fashion industry alone is responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions — more than aviation and shipping combined. If nothing changes, by 2030 the world will be drowning in 134 million tons of textile waste.
What consumers think
To understand how people view thrifting, The Federal spoke to shoppers in Chennai’s bustling Pondy Bazaar.
One shopper shared: “I prefer thrifting in a way, if it is from my mom, and if it is from others, I don't prefer. I may not prefer thrifting because I'll have to trust. There has to be a certain trust before I purchase that item. So if I know how their process is, where they're sourcing it from, then I might consider it. Yeah, good clothes in less quantity is better. If I want to buy a shirt, I prefer mostly with a branded.”
Trust and transparency remain key barriers, but there's growing curiosity about sustainable fashion choices.
A small dent, a big step
As Ben puts it, “We know we’re just making a small dent, but we believe every dent matters. The more people understand what true thrift means — beyond the buzzword — the more we can push this movement forward.”
Thrift stores are slowly reshaping how we view fashion — not as disposable but as something valuable, reusable, and meaningful.
So the next time you scroll through a shopping app or discard clothes, pause. Ask, do I really need this? Could someone else use this? Because a second-hand shirt might just be the first step toward saving the planet.
(The content above has been generated using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.)
