The specifics surrounding “waste colonialism” and “thrift store gentrification” are nuanced. The Jezebel article by Hazel Cills, “The Complicated Reality of Thrift Store Gentrification” and the Clotheshorse Podcast series, “Examining the Ethics of Second Hand Resale” Episodes 159 through 162 both do a great job at working through just how problematic (and patronizing) it is to ascertain that thrift stores should be accessible only to those under a certain income threshold.

They also flesh out how, in the age of Fast Fashion, one of the most environmentally friendly things you can do to alter your consumption practises is to shop less and shop second-hand.

It is also important to note that most thrift stores are for-profit corporations. The few entities that are not-for-profit make their charitable contributions in the form of financial support and employment opportunities (both of which are often entangled with some degree of religious affiliation). Fiscal donations are derived from final profit margins.

All of this is to say, the best way to support non-profit “charity” shops?

Shop them.

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