CCTV Finance's "Financial Investigation" program found that some e-commerce livestreams advertising "big-brand surplus stock" and "one-of-a-kind sample garments" are actually selling secondhand clothes of unknown origin at low prices. In this chain, urban clothing recycling bins, old-clothes sorting plants, refurbishing workshops in surplus wholesale markets, and livestream bases each play a role, forming a closed profit loop from collection to sale.

Key Points

  • A reporter bought three "sample surplus" garments for 6 yuan with free shipping; the clothes had yellow stains, foundation marks, oil stains, and loose threads—clear signs of wear—yet the seller explained them away with phrases like "slightly dirty" and "minor flaws," never mentioning they were secondhand.
  • Using GPS trackers, the reporter found that items from recycling bins in Tieling were transported over 60 kilometers to a corn storage warehouse that was actually an old-clothes sorting plant; Changchun Kunteng Old Clothes Recycling Company alone sells dozens of tons of collected clothing per day.
  • A refurbishing workshop in a surplus wholesale market in South China chemically treats secondhand clothes and attaches brand-new tags; a leading livestream base in Shangqiu, Henan, operates over 20 livestream rooms, with goods sourced from such refurbishing channels.

Recycling Bins Become a Source, "Bin Goods" Flow in Bulk to Sorting Plants

The investigation shows that old-clothes recycling bins placed in urban residential communities are one of the important sources of supply for sorting plants. Some bin operators even label them with "charitable donation" or "caring fundraiser" to increase collection volume. The reporter placed clothing and shoes fitted with GPS trackers into recycling bins in different areas of Tieling; days later, the devices showed the items had been transported over 60 kilometers to a corn storage warehouse. Inside, old clothes were piled like mountains, loosely wrapped in rags, emitting a stale, musty odor. The warehouse manager admitted it was actually an old-clothes sorting plant specializing in collecting secondhand clothing from various places, and that clothes from recycling bins are known in the industry as "bin goods." Similar accounts were obtained at sorting warehouses in Jiamusi and Jinan—operators all listed urban recycling bins as one of their main supply channels.

Demand Exceeds Supply: A Company Sells Dozens of Tons Daily, a Livestream Sells Nearly 70 Items in Half an Hour

Changchun, one of the larger collection and distribution hubs for old-clothes sorting and recycling in Northeast China, is home to several sorting enterprises. The head of Daling Old Clothes Recycling Factory confirmed that most old clothes are sold to e-commerce livestreams, business has been good recently, and the factory cannot keep up with demand. At Changchun Kunteng Old Clothes Recycling Company, the person in charge revealed that his company alone sells dozens of tons of recycled clothing per day; due to strong livestream demand, he even offered to connect the reporter with a local livestream specializing in old clothes. The reporter observed that the livestream sold nearly 70 secondhand garments in just half an hour, and a randomly selected top had obvious mold spots on the cuff. After the broadcast, the livestream's manager, Mr. Liu, said nearly half a ton of clothing was sold in that session, with revenue exceeding 10,000 yuan, almost clearing out their stock—they fell short of expectations only because supply was insufficient. He said all clothing sold that day was purchased by the ton from old-clothes recycling factories, and stressed that they must never tell consumers the items are secondhand; thanks to beauty filters and lighting in the livestream, viewers cannot see the actual condition, and with the host's sales pitch, the items sell smoothly. Regarding the mold issue raised by the reporter, Mr. Liu called it "normal" and admitted that old clothes from sorting plants are almost never washed or sanitized—they are simply hung on racks and sold as-is to minimize costs. Livestream operators also said such secondhand clothing comes from mixed sources, including sorting plant channels and even garbage stations, and that secondhand children's clothing is sold the same way. Another secondhand recycling business owner also told the reporter that secondhand clothing sales in Guangzhou are huge and in short supply.

One Step Further in "Passing Off Old as New": Refurbishing, Rebranding, and Top Livestream Bases

During sorting, the best-condition old clothes are picked out for refurbishing and tagged as new for sale to earn higher profits. The reporter visited a surplus wholesale market in South China. "Surplus stock" originally refers to brand-new clothing that factories produced beyond orders and sold at low prices after delivery, never worn. Ironically, many shops in the market had signs reading "We do not sell secondhand clothing." In the early hours of the next day, the reporter visited a wholesale morning market in a nearby plaza, crowded with buyers, and many livestreamers selling goods on the spot. A livestreamer named Adong told the reporter that in this surplus market, no one can get access to refurbished goods without a guide. He then took the reporter to nearby Wanbang Huijie Import & Export Trading Co., Ltd., where the owner said that because refurbished denim jackets sell extremely well, a new batch had just been refurbished the day before and samples had not yet been displayed; in one warehouse, refurbished cashmere coats gave off a pungent smell of residual chemicals. The owner claimed his refurbishing technique was superb, with traces hard for non-experts to detect, and that goods from all over the country are sent there for refurbishing, with considerable sales of finished products. He also admitted that whether for livestreams or physical stores, buyers almost always purchase these goods as new. Adong then recommended Tianhe Apparel on the third floor of an industrial park; the reporter saw refurbished authentic sweaters displayed on hangers for buyers, packed 100 per bundle and 1,000 per bag, each with a brand-new tag—outsiders could hardly tell they were refurbished from the packaging and tags alone, and even the industry's usual methods of identification require an insider to be certain. The owner of Tianhe Apparel said his biggest client is a livestream base in Shangqiu, Henan. The reporter then visited the Shangqiu Linghang Livestream Base, where an entire floor was filled with secondhand clothing on racks of various colors, and piles of sacks stuffed with clothes in the corners—the person in charge said the base has over 20 livestream rooms, staff were attaching new tags to better-condition secondhand clothes, and more than 20 main accounts had been set up, with high daily output per person. In conversation, the base owner also explained to the reporter with a sigh of relief: if customers knew the items were secondhand, their willingness to buy would be very low; only by selling refurbished old clothes as new can maximum profit be achieved.

Industry Significance of the Report

This investigation reveals an open secret about the wearing and use of old clothes: just as old-clothes recycling and reuse become more common and people grow more familiar with secondhand clothing, the flow and use of old clothes and items from recycling bins remain gaps in a non-public chain, and the sources of goods in the e-commerce livestream chain have almost no effective regulatory constraints or correspondingly transparent disclosure.

Source: The "big-brand surplus stock" you buy may come from recycling bins or garbage stations! Owner: We don't wash or sanitize · Originally published on 2025-12-23