Recycled Clothing from Developed Countries Sent to Indian City

Used clothing from developed countries is shipped to India for recycling and resale. CNN correspondent Hanako Montgomery examined the process in one Indian city where large volumes of imported garments arrive daily. Workers sort through bales of clothing that originate primarily in the United States and Europe.

Many items cannot be resold in their current condition and are instead processed for raw material. The city has become a hub for this secondary textile market. Local residents and laborers involved in sorting and dismantling the garments face exposure to dust, chemicals, and physical strain.

The report documents respiratory issues and other health effects reported by workers handling the imported materials over extended periods. Facilities in the city process thousands of tons of clothing each month. Sorted garments that retain value are sold domestically or re-exported.

Unsuitable items are shredded or converted into industrial rags and filling material. The volume of imported used clothing has grown in recent years as fast fashion increases the supply of low-cost garments in developed markets. This has expanded the scale of operations in Indian processing centers that receive the shipments.

Montgomery's report includes footage from the sorting sites and interviews with workers describing daily conditions. It presents the trade as a global supply chain linking consumer habits in one region to labor and environmental outcomes in another. Indian authorities have previously set standards for textile waste handling, though enforcement varies by location.

The city highlighted in the report continues to receive regular shipments from overseas ports.