Turn your overstock into opportunity: discover how we divert your clothing waste to people in need
Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Every single second, a truckload of perfectly wearable clothes is burned or buried in landfills worldwide – the fate of more than 70% of all discarded clothing, according to a 2024 PwC report. And while some shopaholics might be a little guilty of ‘wearing and wasting’ low-cost apparel, the key culprit behind this worsening problem? Excess brand inventory.
Overproduction has long been a customary pillar of the fashion industry’s business model. Predicting customer demand and meeting narrow trend cycles/seasons can be challenging, empty shelves can hurt sales and brand perception, while the mass manufacturing of products can lower the cost of production per unit. As a result, a culture of excess can seem the safest, most cost-efficient approach.
However, any unsold stock presents brands and retailers with a tough dilemma. Holding onto the inventory takes up valuable space, blocking newer, more saleable products. Sending it to liquidators and discounted outlets can damage the brand’s image and value. And destroying it is not only harmful to the planet but increasingly illegal, according to new EU laws. Is there a fourth option that enables businesses to manage waste effectively, turning overstock into opportunity for people in need? Let’s take a look.
From the runway to the rubbish tip
When we imagine unsold clothing and footwear, we might jump to blame ‘pile it high and sell it cheap’ fast fashion brands and their astonishing levels of production. Available statistics suggest that the industry manufactures between 80 billion and 150 billion garments a year, with as many as 40% – or 60 billion – going unsold. But though eCommerce and high street brands have a significant footprint to reduce, the overstock dilemma impacts even the most upmarket of organisations.
According to The Business of Fashion, LVMH – owner of 75 luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Tiffany & Co. – held €3.2 billion (£2.6 billion) of overstock in 2023, an 18% rise on 2022. Meanwhile, the value of unsold products at Kering – custodians of Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and others – recently reached a new high of €1.5 billion (£1.2 billion). Altogether, the global level of luxury overstock has doubled in the decade since 2014.
High-end brands have traditionally relied on staff sales, exclusive shopping events, and outlet stores to quietly offload any excess inventory. But the waste issue crystallises when there is still product left over. If a brand wants to protect its pricing power and perception of exclusivity, management may deem discounts to be an unsuitable option. In their eyes, this leaves two bleak alternatives: burning or binning.
The real cost of unsold apparel
In the UK, landfills already account for 27% of methane emissions – a harmful greenhouse gas that accelerates global warming. Meanwhile, a ClientEarth report claims that incineration will become more carbon-intensive than landfilling in the UK by 2035, as well as a major source of toxic air pollution. Environmental NGO WRAP has since identified the extension of clothing life as ‘the single largest opportunity to reduce the carbon, water and waste footprints of clothing in the UK.’
Unfortunately, clothing that’s thrown away not only has a detrimental impact on the environment, but also disproportionately affects people who are economically vulnerable. Landfills in the UK are often located near disadvantaged communities, exposing residents to air pollution and contaminated soil and water.
Worse still, many high-income countries ship their rubbish to developing countries. The UK currently exports over 2 million tonnes of waste and roughly two-thirds of its plastic waste, with clothing – around 60% of which is made from plastic – making up a big proportion. According to experts, this waste often ends up “dumped and burned in south-east Asia.”
Ultimately, the UK’s predilection for fashion – and brands’ drive to fulfil it – is contributing to a global environmental crisis. So, how can we keep clothing out of landfill, and in the hands of people who can wear it?
Give your excess stock a second life
At Soles4Souls, we care for our planet and for people by extending the life of shoes and clothing that might have otherwise been prematurely discarded. Brands, retailers and manufacturers can donate excess or returned shoes and clothing to us. Then, we either sell the products to entrepreneurs in low-income countries or give the new items to people in crisis, freeing up financial resources they can use toward other needs. We can also distribute new athletic shoes to children experiencing homelessness, providing kids with the opportunity to participate more fully in school.
Since 2006, Soles4Souls has helped to divert 99 million pounds of textiles (44.9 million kilos) away from landfills. We’ve also created more than $664 million in economic impact – the monetary value created for individuals and communities we serve every time shoes, clothing or accessories are sold or distributed. And if a small percentage of the shoes and clothing donated to us can’t be reused? We work with partners to either recondition the products or convert them into energy for homes, businesses and industries.
With Soles4Souls, your business’s surplus stock no longer has to be a dilemma. Instead, it can be a valuable opportunity – both for your brand to do good, and for people in need across the world. To learn more about partnering with Soles4Souls, please contact alexgilbert@soles4souls.org.