# Average American throws away 80 lbs. of clothing each year **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2022, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711 "2022-10-24T17:05:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/41 "2022-10-25T00:33:21Z")
I too share my suspicion that they divided total waste by number of Americans, including at the very least excess inventory not sold. I also have read/heard the reports about how with online shopping, people “bracket” the sizes of what they buy and return the ones that don’t fit… and those are not always restocked. **But** it does not necessarily mean it goes to landfill eiter – they may be sold to material reprocessors or to bulk exporters. > [@SmartAleq](#): > > The big issue is so called “fast fashion,” cheaply made clothes put together in sweat shops for literal pennies and so poorly constructed you can really only wear them a few times before they fall apart. In some menswear related YouTube clip I heard repeated one bit of info whose source I do not know, indicating “the average piece of clothing nowadays is worn seven times”. That sounded kind of preposterous to me. I have a shirt in the closet, of a perfectly respectable affordable brand, that has been with me almost 20 years and been worn maybe a hundred times and only now I look at it and say, “yeah, coming to end-of-life, may have one or two washes left”. But at the same time there was the shirt bought last year that before 6 months had passed looked like _it_ was 20 years old. And yes it is usually the "fast fashions’ that go ratty fast. Just the other day I took a large bag of clothes to the donation center. Stuff that no longer fit, that I noticed I had not used for a year, etc. Nowhere even close to 80 lbs. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/42 "2022-10-25T00:45:00Z")
One thing I will say is that men’s clothing tends to be more durable and better put together (not even to mention it has proper POCKETS) than women’s clothing so probably women’s trash fashion is dragging down the average. I buy almost nothing but men’s clothes, especially now that they’ve figured out using stretch denim for men’s pants, just because jeans and t-shirts are basically unisex and the men’s garments last a LOT longer. Also the t-shirts actually cover my middle, those stupid women’t shirts that aren’t meant for women over five foot tall are fucking awful. I’m in my sixties, I’m never wearing a crop top again so stop trying to force it on me. I want tunic length shirts and pants with pockets and inseams long enough not to turn them into capris on legs my length, dammit. A little dignity, is it too much to ask? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/43 "2022-10-25T00:53:00Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > not even to mention it has proper POCKETS Girrrl, don’t start me. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/44 "2022-10-25T00:56:48Z")
Lol, it comes up on r/TwoXChromosomes quite often and things get HEATED up in there! ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/45 "2022-10-25T01:01:01Z")
Why would anyone throw clothes in the dumpster when they would donate them to charity (assuming the clothes aren’t so damaged that no one would wear them)? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/46 "2022-10-25T01:34:52Z")
Well, I volunteer at a library with a woman who is MUCH more amenable to throwing books in the garbage than I am, I’ll leave it at that. I fished out a poetry book by one Leonard Nimoy that was in really bad shape, and it sold on Amazon for $40 within a few days of my listing it. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/47 "2022-10-25T02:34:10Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Is it just stuff you’ve been putting off tossing for years or stuff that doesn’t fit/worn out? Both. I’ve stopped working, so I don’t need all the work clothes. I’ve also lost a lot of weight, so I should get rid of the things that don’t fit. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/48 "2022-10-25T09:21:27Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Why would anyone throw clothes in the dumpster when they would donate them to charity (assuming the clothes aren’t so damaged that no one would wear them)? To lazy to take it down to the donation center, I imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/49 "2022-10-25T11:10:50Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Do you ever donate your unwanted clothes? I used to until, on one visit to the drop bin adjacent to the warehouse itself, I noticed through an open delivery door that there were oceans of clothes all over the place. Every hanger was occupied, and there piles several feet high in every available spot on the floor. Apparently, they had way more clothes than need. After that, I didn’t see the need to load stuff into my car and make the drive. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/50 "2022-10-25T13:08:58Z")
Vast amounts of donated clothes are turned into rags or exported to Third World countries. Whether all that transportation is actually greener than landfilling them nearby is an interesting question I’m not able to answer. Here is a thread I started a couple years ago about the supply / demand side of castoff reuse. I don’t recall that we came to any great conclusions, but it was an interesting conversation with lots of good info shared. There was at least one post & cite about clothing specifically. > [@Goodwill Industries, etc.: Supply vs Demand of Cast-offs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391): > > Occasioned by nothing in particular … Every year I seem to end up with a 3 or 4 large trash bags of cast-off usable clothes and household goods that I donate to Goodwill or the equivalent. Which got me to wondering … How is the overall balance of supply and demand for goods at thrift stores and the like? Are major players like Goodwill Industries drowning in cast-offs they can’t sell, or are they sucking wind with empty shelves and disappointed second-hand shoppers? Is the situation highly re… ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/51 "2022-10-25T14:01:17Z")
I think the only clothing that I’ve thrown in the garbage is holey stretched out underwear and socks. Old towels are used for wiping down muddy/wet dogs or my husband uses them as rags in the garage. Clothes we don’t wear anymore first go into the yearly rummage sale I have with a friend. What doesn’t sell goes to Goodwill. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/52 "2022-10-25T14:40:34Z")
I own, and throw out, probably more clothes than the average man (right now I have four wardrobes completely full of clothing) and there’s no way I’m throwing out close to a kilogram per week. (Also NB I sell or donate most of the things I throw out but I guess that’s irrelevant here as someone needs to throw it away, or recycle it, eventually). I note that their cite for the 37kg stat, itself links to another cite, that then doesn’t mention that number at all. Definitely dubious. I guess a critical thing is whether we are including shoes. They would definitely account for the majority of the weight of my clothing waste, but it still would be nowhere near 37kg / year. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/53 "2022-10-25T14:56:34Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I note that their cite for the 37kg stat, itself links to another cite, that then doesn’t mention that number at all. Definitely dubious. Sorry, my mistake. The “root” cite [does mention](https://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/) a figure of 82 pounds, but doesn’t say where it came from. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/54 "2022-10-25T15:30:00Z")
As always, xkcd is on-point: > **[Citogenesis](https://xkcd.com/978/)** > > I just read a pop-science book by a respected author. One chapter, and much of the thesis, was based around wildly inaccurate data which traced back to ... Wikipedia. To encourage people to be on their toes, I'm not going to say what book or author. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/55 "2022-10-25T17:25:03Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > It’s about to be me. I’m getting rid of ~95% of my clothes today. I don’t use it and I’m tired of having so much stuff in my life. (Did I mention I’m moving? I’d love to get rid of 95% of everything I have, but that’s not happening.) I have to admit I assumed “throwing away” meant get rid of, not put in the trash. I donate items that are in good condition. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/56 "2022-10-25T18:06:34Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I’ve also lost a lot of weight, so I should get rid of the things that don’t fit. Congratulations! That’s a good attitude to have. I know people that keep their larger sized clothing because they are sure they will eventually need them again. > [@Broomstick](#): > > To lazy to take it down to the donation center, I imagine. I bet that’s a lot of it. Much simpler to toss it in the garbage a piece or two at a time than to save it up for a special trip. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/57 "2022-10-25T20:18:52Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > I think the only clothing that I’ve thrown in the garbage is holey stretched out underwear and socks. Yeah, the only thing I actually throw in the trash is worn out underwear. Everything else is donated. When I worked and was a fashionable size I bought a lot of clothes. I always donated what I no longer wanted, and my company had a charitable group that regularly did collections for women who were re-joining the workforce for various reasons (fleeing an abusive spouse, getting released from prison, etc.). But just throwing the trash? Nah. Now that I’m retired, I wear t-shirts and jeans in winter or cotton/linen pants for all other seasons. I wear them until they’re pretty worn, but I still donate them. It’s so easy when they pick them up from your house. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/58 "2022-10-25T20:46:20Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Well, I volunteer at a library with a woman who is MUCH more amenable to throwing books in the garbage than I am, I’ll leave it at that. Having known a few people who worked in libraries, I think that job actually has the effect of making people more amenable to throwing books in the garbage. Us regular people are averse to throwing books away, and insist on at least donating them to a thrift store or something. But I think if you work in a library long enough, you start to realize that there are some books that pretty much no one wants. I mean, if no one has checked it out in the past five years, what are the chances that someone will actually _buy_ it? Or if it’s nonfiction it might be woefully out of date. Better to just toss it and make room on the shelf for new books people actually do want to read. I remember years ago reading about thrift stores basically begging people to stop donating copies of _50 Shades of Grey_, because they already had way more than they could possibly sell. Apparently that happens with a lot of popular books; people buy them or get them as gifts, read them, and then donate them. And then the charity shops end up with way too many copies. The end result may be that the thrift store just ends up throwing them away. I guess maybe the paper is recyclable if you go through the effort of separating it from the binding, but that may not be worth the effort. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/59 "2022-10-25T20:55:01Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > But I think if you work in a library long enough, you start to realize that there are some books that pretty much no one wants. Yup. This is a fun site to read: [https://awfullibrarybooks.net/](https://awfullibrarybooks.net/) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/60 "2022-10-25T21:09:18Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I guess maybe the paper is recyclable if you go through the effort of separating it from the binding, but that may not be worth the effort. Find some readers who absolutely loathe and despise the book(s) in question, and they will be happy to rip the pages out for you. Very cathartic, and environmentally friendly too! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711.md?page=4)