‘Wishcycling’ creates problems for thrift and consignment stores

By Lisha Brito
Special to The Independent Press

They call it “wishcycling.”

It seems like a good idea:getting rid of unwanted items by donating them to a thrift store or consignment shop so they stay out of a landfill but if the items are unusable it creates another set of problems.

During the holidays, many people explore how they might help others. One common way: is donating clothing and other household items. Often with positive intentions, people who are donating can create a burden for thrift stores with unwanted items. This inadvertently creates a larger workload for people who sort these donations.

Tree Hugger says “‘Aspirational recycling — or ‘wishcycling’— is the well-intentioned act of recycling items that aren’t actually recyclable, which can consequently wreak havoc on waste management systems. The same hopeful philosophy also applies to thrift store donations.”

Tree hugger is a website that offers advice and inspiration for people who are environmentally conscious.

Goodwill sends roughly 5% of donated clothes to landfills, mostly because of mildew, according to the nonprofit Green America.

Saydah Magia is the owner and founder of Saydah’s Unique Thrift Store, located on Prospect Avenue in Newark. The store sells clothing, children’s toys, shoes and appliances.

“In 2018, we started off receiving a lot of donations,” Magia said. ”At the time because we just started, we weren’t getting much funding and we had to figure out a way because we started off in my house, and it became too bulky.”

Saydah’s Unique Thrift Store now provides paid internships to high school and college students, funded by the city of Newark.

Consignment shops like Save and Rave, in Bloomfield, operate differently from thrift stores. They do not accept donations. Instead, they pay you for your goods once they are sold, offering a percentage of the sale price. All clothing that does not belong to the inventory of the store has a contract on it, and if not sold, that initial owner will receive the clothing back. Even though consignment stores don’t take donations, many people still disregard notices and
opening hours and leave donations at the front door. This creates a challenge for consignment shops, despite their distinct operational model.

Both thrift stores and consignment stores have been affected by loads of garbage and the costs to dispose of them.

Alonya Holley, owner of Save and Rave Consignment store said its a consistent problem.

“Every week … I can’t put a number on it, but it’s often enough,” said

Holley, also known as Alonya Virtual Vintage.

“This is a lifestyle for me, so I’ve been living this gently used clothing, recycled clothing, old clothing, hand-me-down clothing, whatever you want to call it since I was a kid … it just happened to turn into a business.”

Thrift stores also have to check their inventory for pests. At Saydah’s Unique Thrift Store, all donated items are checked outside before being brought onto the premises.

Thrift stores also ask for the clothing to be washed. Many owners and workers at these types of businesses have seen unclean undergarments and clothing with bed bugs and cockroaches.

Thrift and consignment professionals say people should always consider that the clothing they donate is going to deserving families and should meet specific criteria:
• Be fully intact
• Not missing any buttons
• No large stains
• Clean and washed
• Folded when dropped off.

  bloomfield, Bloomfield College