Accra, Ghana
Importer selling to second-hand shops: 30 years doing business
Who typically buys second-hand garments for resale from you?
We work with several long-standing second-hand buyers in Accra and Kumasi who we have known for years and who have personally visited our store to buy bales. Per consignment, they order specific product lists, organize transport, and sell within Accra and Kumasi.
What are the primary factors that impact the sale of second-hand goods?
Price is a key factor. People with limited budgets choose between either second-hand garments like ours, or inexpensive brand-new ones. Additionally, the quality of the garments determines sales. Customers value durability. There is high demand for second-hand garments that come from trusted sources - we often sell an entire container within 48 hours, because we buy second-hand clothes that have been carefully sorted into quality levels that we know will sell.
Theresa A.
Adjame, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Importer selling to second-hand shops. 17 years doing business
If clothes don't sell in Adjame, where do they end up?
There are two main pathways. The first is to sell garments second-hand in smaller cities such as Grand-Bassam, San-Pedro, Yamoussoukro, and Bouake. The second, for slower-moving goods that are unlikely to sell, is to repurpose them, for example into bags, jackets, or other household items. There is a section of Adjame dedicated entirely to reworking garments and conducting repairs if needed.
So, how do you avoid ending up with garments you can't sell?
We specifically seek out quality-sorted reusable garments that our end customers need. One of our key practices is requesting garments that have undergone quality sorting, like those we buy from Looper Textile Co., because then we know we are not receiving bales of waste.
Yahaya A.
Bucharest, Romania
Importer and Sorter in Bucharest. 20 years doing business
What role do you play in the second-hand/reuse sales chain?
My husband and I purchase approximately 50 tonnes per month of second-hand garments from many sorters in Belgium, France, Italy, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. We, in turn, repackage these garments and sell them onwards to operators of small second-hand shops.
Do you keep track of your buyers?
With our 20 years of experience in the industry, we have developed a deep understanding of our around 30 primary buyers, who often have purchasing patterns driven by their garment requirements. Our buyers visit our warehouse, select the items they wish to purchase, make payments at the counter, and we record all transactions for future reference.
Ileana I. ILCOTEX
Ivano-Frankivsk Region, Ukraine
Importer selling to second-hand shops. 17 years doing business
What got you to start selling used textiles in Ukraine?
In Ukraine, people selling second-hand garments were mainly concentrated in major urban areas. This fueled my drive to start selling reusable garments in smaller cities, and from 2007 onwards, I have been deeply engaged in this sector. My journey began with a small output, roughly amounting to 2 tonnes per month, to supplying multiple second-hand shops in the Ivano-Frankivsk region today.
Testimonial from Mykhailo M.
We have been working together for quite a while. The main reason for our good relationship is the quality of the goods. We know exactly what goods we will receive in the next loading. This is important for all of us in the resale chain - importers, the small shops who buy from us, and the usual customers who purchase and wear the garments.
Mykhailo M.
CIRO. SIMONTEX SAS DI CIRO ASCIONE & C.
Maddaloni, Italy
Importer selling to second-hand shops. 20 years doing business
What role does Looper Textile Co. play for your business?
Our mission is to give more clothes a second life instead of them being thrown away. And as we receive more quality garments, more vintage, we have observed a growing trend among young people opting to purchase second-hand clothes over brand-new ones.
Moundou, Chad
Importer selling to second-hand shops
Why is second-hand sales growing in Chad?
Second-hand clothing serves as a good option for families, offering them affordable clothing alternatives. Moreover, in Chad, there is a noticeable increase in brand awareness among young people, and the primary channel to access retail brands within their budget constraints is through second-hand sales.
What key fact about second-hand sales in Chad should sorters know?
To appeal to customers in our second-hand markets, second-hand garments should adhere to Chadian cultural norms. Sorters should prioritize sending assortments of tailored garments that align with local preferences in terms of cultural norms, sizing, and style.
Our Recycling Stream: Wiping Cloths and Rags
By using post-consumer feedstock that sorters like Looper Textile Co. collect and sort, the wiper industry is helping to reduce waste and make useful things out of unwanted textiles. So, instead of these garments ending up in wrongful disposal, they get a second life as wiping rags that can be used for cleaning or other tasks.
Why is the wiping industry a relevant stream?
The wiping industry plays a crucial role in reuse/recycling. For instance, in the oil and gas industry, where there are numerous pipes and valves, hundreds of millions of rags are needed each year to clean up leaks, lubricants, and hands. Similarly, hotels, bars, and restaurants require billions of rags for wiping glasses, tabletops, and railings. Auto manufacturers utilize rags to wipe down cars during assembly, while repair garages use them to clean off dipsticks after oil changes and car washes rely on them for applying wax. The healthcare sector requires endless numbers of rags to maintain cleanliness and sanitation in hospitals and clinics.
ALTEX Textil-Recycling GmbH & Co. KG
Gronau, Germany
Family-Owned Mechanical Textile Recycler
When we collect and sort non-wearables and non-reusable rich cotton, denim, and wool pieces from our post-consumer textile stream. They flow to ALTEX, Germany, as feedstock for recycling.
What Happens After Reaching ALTEX?
ALTEX then processes post-consumer and industrial textiles into raw materials for further industries (automotive, construction, geo-textile, furniture, etc.).
ALTEX also sources feedstock worldwide from different industries, such as spinning mills, weaving mills, garment production, or the textile sorters of post-consumer textiles.
Our Recycling Stream: Recycled Cotton
What is the process to turn back fabric into fiber?
The reality is that solutions available at scale today are quite limited for turning used clothes into new fibers. As a result, only around 1% of unwanted textiles that are collected can be absorbed by existing solutions within this important recycling stream. This is rapidly changing of course, and Looper Textile Co. has the know-how to provide used clothes for nearly any recycler with technology ready to receive them.
Currently, the easiest used garments to recycle are made from either cotton or denim. Most recycled cotton is obtained through mechanical recycling methods.
First, used garments are sorted by material and color (see our Insights page for more about this process). Next, a specific fabric type such as cotton is processed through a machine that shreds the textiles into yarn and subsequently into raw fiber. This shredding process is rigorous and subjects the fiber to considerable strain, often resulting in breakage and tangling. Subsequently, the raw fiber is spun back into yarns for use in other products. However, the recycled fiber's quality does not match that of the virgin fiber. Factors such as fiber length and uniformity are affected, so the recycled fiber's quality does not match that of virgin fiber. Therefore today, mechanically recycled materials must be blended with other materials for most end-use applications. Spinners in the EU and Asia specialize in producing and supplying post-consumer cotton and polyester/cotton open end yarns that can subsequently be used in weaving and knitting.
Our Recycling Stream: Nonwovens for Automotive Industry
What are nonwovens?
Nonwoven textiles are a type of fabric where fibers are joined together without being woven. These materials are not as strong as woven fabrics, but they can be reinforced and made stronger by adding a backing. Nonwovens in the automotive industry are specially engineered to have specific functions like absorbing liquids, repelling liquids, feeling soft and stretching, bouncing back, and providing cushioning. This makes nonwoven textiles useful in many areas such as seat cushioning.
What are nonwovens used for in the automotive industry?
Nonwovens are 15% - 30% lighter than conventional materials. You can find nonwovens in car carpets, seat cushioning, the lining on the ceiling, filters (air cleaning, oil), muffler wraps, soundproofing, etc.
Our Recycling Stream: Nonwovens for Housing Insulation
What are nonwovens for housing insulation?
Nonwovens made from recycled textiles are viable alternatives to insulation that would otherwise be based on inorganic fibers, such as mineral and glass wool. Nonwovens consume far less energy in production, provide the required insulating performance over a long duration of time, and can be recycled again when removed from buildings.
Our Recycling Stream: Textile Footing for Equestrian Floors
What is textile footing on equestrian floors?
Textile footing is composed of different types of recycled fibers that are applied on the arena’s top layer. There are a variety of textile footing products, many are either chopped or shredded. When recycled fibers from used textiles are added to sand, it makes the ground firmer, steadier, and safer for a horse to walk on. Using textile footing also stops the ground from becoming too compacted in the arena. Both the recycled fibers and sand can be mixed with new or existing sand to improve how well the arena functions without having to replace all the sand.
Our Recycling Stream: Punching Bags
Our mechanical recycling partners shred textile waste for punching bags…
Used textiles are an eco-friendly and durable filling for punching bags. The textile filling provides a consistent surface for absorbing and distributing impact during workouts.
Our Recycling Stream: Wiping Cloths and Rags
If a garment is not deemed suitable for reuse, it can still find a second life. One common product currently made from used textiles is wiping rags that can be used for cleaning or other tasks.
Why is the wiping industry a relevant stream?
Wipers are needed in a wide variety of settings. For instance, in the oil and gas industry, where there are numerous pipes and valves, hundreds of millions of rags are required each year to clean up leaks and lubricants. Similarly, hotels, bars, and restaurants require rags for wiping glasses, tabletops, and railings. Auto manufacturers utilize rags to wipe down cars during assembly, while repair garages use them to clean off dipsticks after oil changes. Car washes rely on them for applying wax. The healthcare sector also requires rags to maintain sanitation in hospitals and clinics.