A textbook case of artificially propped-up demand and waste in the fashion space outraged Reddit users and left many disillusioned at the impacts of capitalism.
What's happening?
A Redditor shared a photo with the r/LateStageCapitalism subreddit showing a dumpster overflowing with shoes.
"This entire bin full of brand-new, intentionally destroyed shoes, destined for landfill," they wrote. "All to prevent reselling and to maintain an artificially high price."
Although the post didn't name the brand, the signature Lacoste crocodile logo was visible on the shoe that was held up to the camera. The optics behind all of this unnecessary waste, intended only to protect resale value, alarmed other Reddit users.
"Artificial scarcity and forced competition are really the only reasons why everyone around the world isn't out of basic poverty," one said.
Another poster went a step further, contextualizing the waste of perfectly good footwear in the name of profits.
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"There are homeless people in America without a single pair of shoes, let alone all the people and children globally who don't have proper shoes," they wrote. "It's evil."
Why is this textile waste important?
Overproduction in the fashion industry leads to significant waste and contributes to environmental issues. The fast-fashion industry draws the most attention for its wastefulness, but brands of all kinds can be guilty of similar practices.
Discarded clothes and shoes are now piling up in landfills worldwide. Once there, they contribute to the production of methane — a potent planet-warming gas — and can leach out chemicals and plastics into the surrounding ecosystem.
Shoes, meanwhile, can take up to 40 years to break down, and they can release other harmful substances. As the aforementioned Redditor noted, there are tons of people who could use a pair.
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$200 or more 💰 Is Lacoste doing anything about this?
In Lacoste's 2020 Sustainability Report, it said that only 0.4% of its goods were unsold, which the company characterized as a "very low proportion compared to industry averages."
Still, it's good to see that the company has seemingly closed many of the loops on its once-rampant textile waste, including unsold merchandise. The percentage of textile waste that is given a second life has risen steadily from 5% in 2020 to 10% in 2021 and 50% in 2022.
Lacoste's most recent report from 2024 said that in the year before, 99% of its textile waste and unsold items from its tier-one suppliers were given a second life. The goal by 2025 was to reach 100%, which seems pretty achievable based on the progress made so far.
What's being done about waste by the fashion industry more broadly?
Calling out incidents like the one the Reddit poster witnessed is an important move for consumers to get their voice heard by brands. Regulators can also help by holding companies accountable for textile waste.
Avoiding fast fashion entirely is another move. Buying secondhand is another way to keep still-good clothing and shoes in circulation while saving money and benefiting the planet.
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