Where the Castoffs Go

Available for over a year

Every day the huge Textrade recycling centre in Hungary - just off the M7 motorway from Budapest to the Adriatic - receives over 100 tonnes of used clothing, much of it donated in Britain. Here, the unwanted garments are sorted, made into bales, and sent off to markets around the world. Many of them end up in West Africa. Nick Thorpe explores the business and considers why the rich world buys so much stuff. (Photo: A recycling worker sorts through clothing at the facility. Credit Nick Thorp)