In recent years, fast fashion brands have continuously shortened clothing update cycles, with trends changing in the blink of an eye, causing a flood of old clothes into the secondhand market that exceeds the recycling system's capacity. In Treysa, Germany, the Fundgrube secondhand store under the Hephata Foundation is facing this challenge—currently only 30% of donated clothing can be sold, while the rest is sent to recycling companies for processing.

According to Eva Riedinger, head of Hephata's business division, they collect old clothes every two weeks from two clothing donation bins in Guxhagen and Kassel, as well as four donation bins inside the Fundgrube store. Riedinger said that because other collectors have gradually withdrawn, the amount of clothing Hephata receives has increased noticeably. Although the proportion of reusable clothing has not declined, the overall quality of the clothing is far worse than before, with damage or stains becoming more common. She believes that the influx of large quantities of cheap new clothes on the market encourages consumers to buy faster and discard faster, exacerbating the problem of old clothing disposal.

Currently, Fundgrube works with three recycling companies, to which old clothes that cannot be sold in the store are handed over for processing. About 70% of donated clothing thus enters the recycling process. In addition, some old clothes that are still wearable are resold directly through online secondhand platforms, reducing the supply to physical secondhand stores.

The Fundgrube store employs two staff members and four clients participating in an employment promotion program, who take part in clothing sorting, display and sales, and many other tasks. The store also sells secondhand goods such as household items, toys, and books, mainly targeting budget-conscious consumers. Riedinger emphasized that this thrift store aims to promote resource conservation and provide high-quality, low-priced old clothes for low-income people.

It is worth noting that recently some of Fundgrube's community clothing collection bins have posted notices suspending acceptance. Hephata explained that this is only due to store renovations, not a permanent closure, and normal acceptance will resume after construction is completed.

Source: Kleiderspenden fluten Secondhandladen · Originally published on 2026-08-27