Owing to convenience, many people choose to pass their used clothes to non-profit organisations, hoping that that would channel thee result of their consumptive behaviours to good will. However, this is mainly a piecemeal approach. Moreover, in actual fact, only a small percentage of donated textiles retain their value. Most of the donated textiles still end up in landfills.

“We receive so much clothing per day that it’s impossible for us to put it all on display in our shops,” said Mr David Lim, senior manager of wholesale and export for Red Shield Industries, the charity’s social enterprise arm.

The Salvation Army estimates that only about 8 to 10 per cent of donated clothes will be put on sale to members of the public because of the sheer number of items they receive.