This week revealed Aftonbladet that the fashion giant has broken its promises about return handling that does not harm the environment. Instead, returned clothes end up in Iquique, Chile – a notorious dumping ground where up to 40,000 tons of textiles are burned every year, creating an environmental disaster.
But when SVT Norrbotten meets young people in Luleå, they tell us that they do not return the clothes, but instead send them to second-hand shops, which now do not want to accept them. Instead, they are fired up.
Divided opinions
In Luleå, the young people are divided in their opinions. Some have a hard time understanding why people choose to buy from the company.
– It feels a bit unnecessary, because it’s just a lot of cheap stuff that doesn’t last, says Joel Johansson.
Others believe that the low prices are what attracts.
– It’s cheap, and there are so many different things. Everything you want, says Johanna Jessen.
Price goes first
Whether the clothes contain toxic chemicals or whether large quantities are thrown away seems to many to be secondary compared to the price. This leads to the clothes often just ending up in the garbage.
– Sometimes you might not even bother to throw it away, because it is so cheap, says Johanna Jessen.