In the used-clothing recycling business, the gap between purchase price and export price is something practitioners often talk about—garments bought for a few cents or even pennies apiece can, after sorting, tidying and baling, be resold for export at several times or even ten times the purchase cost. The original article notes that changes in the global economic environment in 2019 drove a marked rise in demand for used clothing, and it was from that time that a group of entrepreneurs entered the industry, profiting from collecting and sorting old clothes.

The key to this business lies in how the chain is organized. At the front end are the old-clothing collection bins seen everywhere in cities; at the back end is the linking of sorting, baling and export. Participants treat used clothing as a resource that can be managed in fine detail rather than as mere waste: once collected garments undergo preliminary classification, tidying and packaging, their value is redefined, and the supply chain keeps becoming more refined and complete in the process. The cost paid at the purchasing end is extremely low, but the price each garment can realize once it enters export channels depends on how meticulous the sorting is and how efficient the turnover is.

It is worth noting that export is not the only outlet for old clothes. Some practitioners have begun redesigning and altering the used garments they collect, trying to build recognizable brands, so that second-hand clothing sheds the label of "cheap goods" and moves closer to fashion and personal expression. Such attempts raise the added value of the products and, to a certain extent, are changing consumers' perceptions.

From a longer perspective, used-clothing recycling and reuse carries both commercial and environmental attributes. It reduces the pressure discarded textiles place on the environment, saves resources, and is seen as a concrete practice of putting sustainability into action; for entrepreneurs, it is both a source of income and a business with the potential to be replicated and promoted in more regions.

As the market expands, used-clothing export volumes rise year by year, and the industry's appeal to investors and practitioners grows stronger. For the used-clothing trade, this means that beyond the main export channel, value-added paths such as alteration and branding are becoming new directions of operation, while value distribution across the whole chain still depends on how deep sorting and reprocessing can go.

Source: Those old clothes bought for pennies can resell for dozens of times more abroad · Originally published 2026-07-20