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China
Which kind of waste bins do you have in your household?
In China, households usually use a four-category waste sorting system, especially in major cities:
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🔵 Recyclables bin – paper, plastic, metal, glass
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🟢 Kitchen/food waste bin – leftovers, organic waste
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🔴 Hazardous waste bin – batteries, electronics, chemicals
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âš« Residual/general waste bin – non-recyclable items
This system has been expanding city by city as China strengthens its waste separation and recycling policies.
What would you say is the general attitude toward secondhand clothing in your country?
The general attitude toward secondhand clothing is gradually shifting but still mixed. Older generations often associate used clothing with poor hygiene, low quality, or financial difficulty, which creates some social stigma. However, younger consumers, especially Gen Z and Gen Y, are becoming much more open to secondhand fashion, viewing it as a sustainable, affordable, and unique style choice. This change is strongly driven by online platforms such as Xianyu (闲鱼) and Zhuan Zhuan, which have made buying and selling pre-owned items more accessible and socially acceptable. Despite this growing acceptance, concerns about cleanliness, counterfeit products, and quality still remain barriers for some people, meaning the secondhand market is growing but still in transition toward full mainstream acceptance.
Where do people usually buy or sell secondhand clothes?
In China, people usually buy and sell secondhand clothes through online platforms such as Xianyu (闲鱼), Zhuan Zhuan, and Xiaohongshu (RedNote), which make it easy for users to resell and purchase pre-owned items directly. These apps are especially popular among younger generations and have helped normalise secondhand shopping as a convenient and even enjoyable “treasure hunt” experience. In addition, secondhand clothing is also found in offline thrift stores, pop-up markets, and community resale fairs in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, where people prefer to browse items physically and discover unique or vintage pieces.
How many pieces of clothes does the average person in China own?
Studies and consumer discussions suggest that most people own a relatively large number of garments due to fast fashion, frequent online shopping, and seasonal variety. On average, adults are estimated to own around 100–160 pieces of clothing, although many people are unaware of the exact number and tend to underestimate it. Some urban consumers, especially younger generations, may own even more due to frequent purchases and rapidly changing fashion trends. At the same time, a significant portion of these clothes are often underused, with many items worn only a few times before being replaced or forgotten in the wardrobe.
What is one thing that your country could learn from Malaysia/ U4B?
What China could learn from Malaysia and Upcycle4Better is the value of combining large-scale systems with hands-on education and real-world impact visibility. While China has rapidly growing secondhand platforms and strong digital infrastructure, many people are still disconnected from what actually happens to textile waste. U4B’s approach shows how powerful it is to physically demonstrate the journey of clothing through sorting, recycling, and upcycling, while also involving communities, students, and vulnerable groups. By placing more focus on education, transparency, and social inclusion, China could strengthen public awareness and encourage more responsible consumption beyond just buying and reselling secondhand goods.
Which facts shocked you during your research?
One of the most shocking facts is how rapidly China’s secondhand market has grown in just a few years, expanding from around 300 billion yuan in 2015 to over 1 trillion yuan in 2020, with projections reaching 3 trillion yuan by 2025. Despite this massive growth, there are still widespread issues such as counterfeit goods, scams, and quality concerns, with surveys showing that a large percentage of users have experienced problems when buying secondhand items. It is also surprising that although the market is booming, secondhand clothing is still not fully accepted socially, with many people continuing to associate it with hygiene concerns or lower social status.
What are some national campaigns or organizations in your country promoting textile recycling or reuse?
In China, textile recycling is increasingly supported by government policies and emerging industry initiatives rather than a few well-known public charities. The government has introduced national guidelines to build a circular textile economy, including targets to recycle 25% of textile waste by 2025 and up to 30% by 2030, alongside efforts to improve collection systems, sorting technologies, and the use of recycled fibres in manufacturing.
At the same time, organizations such as the China Association of Circular Economy and partnerships led by the National Development and Reform Commission are helping to drive awareness, research, and infrastructure development.
In addition to policy-led efforts, private companies and platforms are playing a major role. Online resale platforms like Xianyu and Zhuanzhuan, as well as growing networks of secondhand stores and community thrift markets, are helping extend the life of clothing and promote reuse. Meanwhile, new technologies such as AI-powered textile sorting and recycling systems are being developed to improve efficiency and scale.
Although China is still in the early stages compared to more mature recycling systems globally, the combination of strong government direction, rapid technological innovation, and growing consumer awareness is creating momentum toward a more circular textile economy.
What kind of textile waste recycling points exist in China ?
In China, textile waste recycling points exist in several forms, but they are still fragmented rather than fully unified nationwide.
Most common are clothing donation bins and community recycling containers, usually placed in residential areas, streets, or near community centers. These bins collect used clothing which is then sorted into reusable and non-reusable categories for donation, resale, or recycling into materials like rags, insulation, or industrial fibers.
In addition, there are in-store collection points and brand-led recycling programs, where companies such as Zara and other fashion retailers provide drop-off bins in stores or home collection services for used textiles, regardless of brand.
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There are also online-to-offline recycling systems, where platforms and logistics partners arrange pickup services or link consumers to recycling companies, especially in major cities.
Finally, a portion of textiles is handled through secondhand platforms (like Xianyu) or sold to recyclers who process materials into industrial products, wiping cloths, or recycled fibers.
Overall, China does have multiple recycling “points,” but they are a mix of community bins, brand programs, online platforms, and private recyclers rather than one standardized national system.
How much textile waste is generated in china ? How much ends up in landfills, how much is recycled?
