It has been a very busy spring for us. And for our great trade association, SMART, Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association.
First, the board of SMART came from all over the country to meet at my house to discuss strategic planning for our great association; Strategic planning is our plan to guide our industry for the next three years. Our major goal is developing, and it is essentially for our industry to be rightfully recognized as “recyclers” so that we will be able to take advantage of “green marketing” and government incentives for the recycling industry that are surely to come. I am always amazed at the great energy of our trade association and the volunteers who form our board.
Another new development is that Dominican Republic has banned the “frontier business” in secondhand clothing with Haiti. This can have a serious effect on our industry exports to Haiti that end up in the Dominican market. This is not to mention that SMART should address the issue of why Dominican bans secondhand exports from all countries other than Haiti (and now Haiti as well).
As in the case of Tanzania, where SMART intervened to reduce rising duties, our association will use its influence at the Commerce Department to positively impact events in Haiti.
In Bolivia, where pressure exists to ban used clothing imports from the U.S., families who can’t afford new clothing risk losing the only affordable means of clothing themselves and their children. SMART is fighting to show Bolivian officials the benefits our imports bring to their people.
SMART fight against bans of secondhand clothing wherever they exist in the world.
That covers just a few recent events taking place in this always fascinating and dynamic industry.
Stay tuned for more soon!
William Schapiro, President
Whitehouse & Schapiro LLC
2800 Quarry Lake Drive
Suite 120
Baltimore, MD 21209
Ph: 410-356-8003 Fax: 410-356-9001
www.webuyrags.com
I must say I never really saw the used clothing industry from this perspective. I always assumed--incorrectly at that--that used clothes and such, made their way first to a local garage sale, then to the thrift store before reaching their final destination...the landfill!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing frontier time for the SMART people of the industry. The Green Wave is rising, so grab your proverbial surf boards and catch a big one!