Legal quagmire
Fang said he would appreciate more specific policies regarding the export of secondhand clothes, so he could expand his business.
"There are few regulations in this field," Fang said. "Sometimes, I think the nation's authorities may think it's not a glorious thing to export so many secondhand clothes."
In contrast, some developed countries such as the US and Japan, have established preferential policies to support the industry and gain environmental credentials, said Fang.
Meanwhile, abandoned clothes are becoming more common in China.
Statistics from the China Association of Resource Comprehensive Utilization show that China produced 43 million tons of textiles in 2011. Around 26 million tons were discarded each year, with less than 1,000 tons of that being recycled, CBN reported, pointing out that many clothes are buried in wardrobes and garbage.
"With the development of living standards, the quality of abandoned clothes has become better and some of them are even brand new," Chen said. "They are not as dirty and worn out as people imagined."
However, many environmental experts still think exporting secondhand clothes has too many risks.
"If the clothes are not properly dealt with, they can transfer pollution to other countries," said Zhao Zhangyuan, a researcher with the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences. "That could violate international environmental conventions and cause disputes.
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