Life Line said the overall quality of clothing collected from Singapore has remained relatively consistent, but the proportion of fast-fashion garments is increasing as online shopping grows.

Some pieces arrive at the facility brand new and still carrying their tags.

“I suspect it’s a lot of online orders … that don’t fit well. So naturally, they will want to then donate and pass on to organisations like ourselves that can circulate back locally or globally,” said Cloop’s Ms Tuan.

The volume collected through the yellow bins has continued to grow even though Cloop has paused the expansion of its network, Ms Tuan said.

One misconception, she said, is that clothes put into textile recycling bins will be shredded into fibres and made into new garments.

Greater awareness of where unwanted clothes go, including through Cloop’s education efforts, has helped give people confidence to use the collection points, she added.

But recycling should still be the last step, said Ms Tuan, who urged consumers to first rethink what they buy, reduce consumption, reuse and repair what they already have.