A circular social enterprise based in Singapore, Cloop, has rejected an offer from the fast-fashion retailer Shein to re-sell donated clothing. The company, which focuses on the collection and recycling of used textiles, aims to avoid contributing to the cycle of disposable consumerism. Cloop's co-founder, Jasmine Tuan, emphasized the organization's commitment to promoting the reuse of well-made items rather than poorly constructed garments that cannot be resold.
Shein had proposed providing boxes of garments previously used for marketing, but Cloop expressed concerns about becoming a "dumping ground" for such items. The enterprise conducts fashion swaps for quality clothing and recycles materials through its partner, Life Line Clothing. Upcoming fashion swap events are planned for June 5-7 in Singapore.
In response, Shein noted that its outreach to various organizations in Singapore was aimed at finding sustainable solutions for surplus materials, rather than establishing a formal partnership. The fast-fashion brand is under scrutiny for its role in generating significant textile waste, attributing this to its model that promotes inexpensive, synthetic clothing.