# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/61 "2022-10-26T03:57:46Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > 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. A [charitable group](https://vnsabooksale.org/) here collects books all year then [sells them one weekend in February](https://youtu.be/ndLA45O2lds). At the end of the cycle, except for a handful of really valuable books, the leftovers are given to old folks homes or the like and the cycle begins anew. I have noticed there’s always a glut of last year’s political books. Left or right there are a half-dozen on the table top and underneath, boxes full of them to replenish the table stock. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/62 "2022-10-26T04:10:25Z")
Other than a pair of socks (a gift) and one tee shirt, I haven’t acquired any clothing since before the pandemic. In that time, I’ve donated several garbage bags full of professional garments, as well as giving several old towels and blankets to the animal shelter. I have, perhaps, thrown out a few socks totaling a couple of hundred grams, if that, and certainly not 250# of clothing in the last 3 years. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/63 "2022-10-26T05:20:37Z")
I definitely remember this story from England. SFW. > **[A charity shop was given so many Fifty Shades of Grey copies it turned them...](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/oxfam-shop-begs-people-to-stop-donating-copies-of-fifty-shades-of-grey-a6947816.html)** > > The bookshop is now begging people to stop donating their copies of the E.L. James erotic novel For a while, we got “The Da Vinci Code” by the boxload (or so it seemed) and Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue”, but we don’t see so many of either of those now. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/64 "2022-10-26T11:10:11Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Other than a pair of socks (a gift) and one tee shirt, I haven’t acquired any clothing since before the pandemic. In that time, Same here. All I need are jeans, underwear a tee-shirt and socks. Throw on a fleece and I’m good to go anywhere. That is my dress code. We are in the middle of donating all of my mothers clothing though. She died last Friday 10/21/22. My Wife took it in for donation yesterday. I’d say there was about 150 pounds. Throw away 80 lbs a year? That sounds rediculous. ---
**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 26, 2022, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/65 "2022-10-26T14:37:32Z")
@enipla , so sorry to hear about your mother passing. I’ve been following along with your posts about all you did to care for her. I send good thoughts to you and your family. > [@enipla](#): > > Throw away 80 lbs a year? That sounds rediculous. If I exclude shoes and coats/jackets, I’m not sure I own 80 lbs of daily wear clothing. Most of my wardrobe is teeshirts, shorts and a few pair of jeans/pants with all the extra pockets in them. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/66 "2022-10-26T16:18:26Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I really don’t believe the stat listed in the OP is true at all. Not me, not any of my roommates throughout the years, nor anyone in my family I have ever lived with has thrown out anywhere _near_ that amount of clothing _every year_. I know I don’t, because if I want to get rid of clothing that still has some life in it, there’s a perfectly good thrift shop a few miles from my house. Now I’m wondering if I even own 81 pounds of clothing. I probably do, but my guess is that I’d have to throw away most of my wardrobe to throw away that much. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/67 "2022-10-26T16:20:35Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I definitely remember this story from England. SFW. “Shades of Grey, wherever I go…” - Billy Joel and Oxfam ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/68 "2022-10-26T16:24:29Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > If I exclude shoes and coats/jackets, I’m not sure I own 80 lbs of daily wear clothing. The suit of armor is for special occasions? ---
**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 26, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/69 "2022-10-26T16:26:46Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The suit of armor is for special occasions? Of course. Have you ever shined a suit of armor? Way too much work for casual wear. Plus, it’s really hard to find maidens locked in towers anymore. ---
**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 26, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/70 "2022-10-26T17:26:15Z")
And climbing stairs in armor is a bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/71 "2022-10-26T18:09:42Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > We are in the middle of donating all of my mothers clothing though. She died last Friday 10/21/22. Oh no, sorry to hear it enipla and condolences to you and your family. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/72 "2022-10-26T19:13:41Z")
One third of people allegedly went up two pants sizes during Covid. If that is true, that might mean a lot more closet cleaning. I don’t weigh clothes. A full washer might be fifteen or twenty pounds worth? I do not throw away many clothes but easily donate more than this weight each year to worthy charities. I hope most of these are put to good use. ---
**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 26, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/73 "2022-10-26T19:35:35Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > A full washer might be fifteen or twenty pounds worth? Seems high, but like you, I’ve never thought much about it. What we need is a volunteer with a lot of laundry and a good bathroom scale. Who’s ~~bored~~ , er, curious enough to take the hit? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/74 "2022-10-26T22:50:15Z")
Forgot to mention that “Hillbilly Elegy” has taken over that spot. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2022, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/75 "2022-10-27T00:38:23Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > We are in the middle of donating all of my mothers clothing though. She died last Friday 10/21/22. My Wife took it in for donation yesterday. I’d say there was about 150 pounds. I donated the vast majority of my parents’ clothes 2 summers ago. I don’t know how much 15 13-gallon bags weigh, but it took 6 weeks to wash, dry, and bag, and drop it all off. They never threw away _anything_ not outright destroyed, best I could tell. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2022, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/76 "2022-10-27T00:42:15Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Seems high, but like you, I’ve never thought much about it. Seems high to me too. When I carry a mesh hamper downstairs containing a full washerload of (dry) laundry, it’s probably something like 8-12 pounds? When I take the wet laundry out of the washer and put it back in the hamper to schlep upstairs to my drying rack, that’s when we’re looking at twenty pounds or more. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2022, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/77 "2022-10-27T06:08:15Z")
For reference, my washer is rated for 9 kg (just under 20 lbs). I know it’s smaller than my mother’s washer. I’m in Switzerland, and she’s in the U.S. I’ve often seen washers advertised in the U.S. according to the number of towels, or something similar. So it seems to be more about the volume than the weight. It seems that the headline should be that the American fashion industry throws away 80 lbs of clothing for each American. I think most people can’t afford to throw out so much money. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2022, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/78 "2022-10-27T19:24:09Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > When I take the wet laundry out of the washer and put it back in the hamper to schlep upstairs to my drying rack, that’s when we’re looking at twenty pounds or more. I’ve often pondered that. “Holy smokes! There’s a gallon of water still in this load.” ---
**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 28, 2022, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/79 "2022-10-28T07:21:11Z")
My wife is really tiny. We once made the mistake of buying a top load washer and a front load dryer. The wet clothes were so heavy, she had to stand on a footstool to lift the clothes from the washer, set them on top of the dryer, then get off the footstool to load them in the dryer. Can’t understand why she tired of it so soon. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711/80 "2022-10-28T14:14:19Z")
The day I become the Average American is when I hang it up for good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/average-american-throws-away-80-lbs-of-clothing-each-year/973711.md?page=5)