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Indonesia's thrift surge fuels waste and textile industry woes

Indonesia’s second-hand clothing boom, despite a long-standing ban on importing used clothes (since ****) aimed at protecting the domestic textile industry, preventing health and environmental risks, and promoting local production, is fast becoming one of the country’s most troubling economic and environmental dilemmas.

What began as an underground trade catering to budget-conscious shoppers has evolved into a full-blown national concern—one that is hollowing out the industry, overwhelming landfills, and upending the domestic market.