A New Era of Fashion with Textilhafen
The fashion industry is often rightfully criticized for its wastefulness and exploitation, from the overproduction of products with short lifespans, the horrendous working conditions and insufficient wages, to the environmental harm…the list goes on.
“Komm&Sieh” a subsidiary of the “Berlin Stadt Mission” founded Textilhafen with the aim to change these by raising consumer awareness and attempting to change their overconsuming lifestyles, as a counteract a few of the damaging effects.The mission is to reduce textile waste and foster ethical consumption, by “closing textile cycles”. Textilhafen operates at the intersection of sustainability and social responsibility. As we delve into their organizational practices, it becomes clear that Textilhafen embodies a model that challenges the status quo in fashion, demonstrating that there is a way forward that harmonizes people, planet, and profit. Is Textilhafen a beacon of hope?
A Vision for a Better Future
Textilhafen was founded in 2019, born out of a pressing need to tackle the mountains of textile waste that fashion generates every year. Komm&Sieh is a non-profit inclusive organisation. They currently have around 120 full-time and voluntary employees. At least 40% of their employees are people with a recognised severe disability. Komm&Sieh works in all areas to feed and clothe the city’s poorest. Helping people by providing necessities they can not receive easily elsewhere. Their core belief is that fashion doesn’t have to be wasteful or unethical. The idea for Textilhafen emerged more or less out of necessity. The Bahnhofsmission received donations that did not meet the actual needs of the homeless. The name “Textilhafen” itself is telling—it translates to “Textile Harbor,” a metaphor for a place where discarded clothes can find refuge and purpose again. The initiative wanted to create a space that offered comprehensive system where textiles could be transformed, given new life, and used for good.
Creating Impact with a circular economy
An average of eleven tonnes of textile donations arrive here every week. Regardless of whether they are handed in personally by private donors, donated in one of their numerous containers or delivered directly by large donors, everything is sorted by hand here. The donations can end up in one of three places: at the “Kleiderkammer”, one of their “Kiezläden” or in their “Materialpool”.
Primarily the donations are sent to their clothing store at the main railway station, which supplies between 90 and 170 people every day. The depot provides clothing, sleeping bags, backpacks, shoes, mats, and more. Items that cannot be used there because they are not suitable for clothing homeless people on a seasonal basis are sent to their second-hand neighbourhood shops, where anyone can shop. The proceeds go toward financing social projects. In these stores, donated textiles and household goods from estate clearances are sold if they can’t be used in the clothing depot.
Textihafen has a motto, that all donations should always be in good condition - “as if you were passing them on to friends”. Unfortunately, many donations cannot be used for various reasons: some items are damaged or dirty, and there are limited storage capacities. For instance, in autumn and winter, there isn’t much space for summer clothing. Moreover, a large portion of donations is women's and children's clothing, but 90% of the people visiting the depots are men.
After sorting for the depot and neighbourhood shops, there are still many donations left over. This led to the creation of Textilhafen's material pool, also known as the “Eldorado for upcycling designers and textile enthusiasts”. These are faulty items that are not suitable to give away or sell, due to damage or signs of wear - but which are suitable for textile upcycling due to their high material quality. The project describes the practice of meaningful reuse. Many upcycling designers now source materials from this extensive collection, giving these textiles a literal second life. The storage boxes are permanently filled with a wide variety of materials that can be purchased at a favourable price per kilo. The earnings also go to social projects.
With its 420 square metres, the Textilhafen is a mixture of warehouse, sorting station, sewing room and clothes shop. Workshops on dyeing and textile printing have been introduced, as well as projects like “WaterToWine”, where they collaborate with local artisans and designers to turn discarded textiles into high-quality, handcrafted products. These products range from bags and accessories to home décor, proving that even what we consider waste can be beautiful and functional. This initiative supports local craftsmanship and provides a steady stream of work for artisans, further embedding ethical practices into the core of their operation.
Reality of the beacon of hope
They collect used textiles and repurpose them, minimizing the waste that typically ends up in landfills. Their process is simple yet effective. The question is how effective is it really? Textilhafen is an innovative and socially impactful initiative, but like any project, it has areas that could benefit from reflection and improvement, such as: Over-Reliance on Donations, Imbalance in Donation Types, Storage and Seasonal Limitations, Limited Reach and Visibility, Target Audience Alignment and Operational Efficiency:
Over-Reliance on Donations:
Textilhafen's reliance on public donations makes it vulnerable to fluctuations in quality and quantity. Many of the items donated are unusable due to poor condition (damaged or dirty). This reduces the efficiency of sorting and adds operational burdens, such as disposal costs for unsalvageable items. This over-reliance may also pose challenges in maintaining consistent and high-quality offerings for upcycling designers and second-hand customers.
Imbalance in Donation Types:
The large amount of women's and children's clothing compared to the actual needs (primarily men’s clothing) highlights a mismatch between supply and demand. The majority of the clothing donations are still being sent to textile recyclers. They use them to make rags, tarpaulins, insulating materials and doormats. Some items of clothing are made from high-quality materials such as silk, cashmere and cotton - far too good to dispose of.
Storage and Seasonal Limitations:
Limited storage space, especially for off-season items, presents a logistical challenge. Since clothing donations are often seasonal, this could result in inefficiencies. Better warehouse solutions or a redistribution system to manage seasonal items might alleviate this issue.
Limited Reach and Visibility:
While Textilhafen supports sustainable fashion, its reach is somewhat localized to Berlin. Expanding the project’s model to other cities or partnering with broader networks could increase its impact. It also has the potential to raise more awareness around sustainable practices and ethical fashion choices beyond its immediate community.
Target Audience Alignment:
Textilhafen caters to upcycling designers and second-hand shoppers, but it may benefit from clearer marketing to reach a broader, more diverse audience. Its appeal could extend beyond niche markets if more effort was placed on communicating the value of second-hand and upcycled fashion to a mainstream consumer base.
Operational Efficiency:
The process of sorting, managing, and redistributing donations requires significant labor and time. The operation could benefit from increased automation or digital solutions to streamline these processes and reduce operational costs.
In summary, while Textilhafen plays a crucial role in sustainability and social support, it faces challenges related to donation management, seasonal limitations, and scalability. By addressing these, it could further enhance its impact and efficiency.
Textilhafen could engage the public more on proper donation practices, encouraging people to donate only usable items in good condition. This would reduce waste and help the project focus on delivering quality goods. Partnering with other organizations that focus on different
demographics (women, children) could help redistribute surplus clothing. Similarly, collaborating with recycling companies could ensure damaged textiles are responsibly recycled rather than discarded. As sustainability becomes a more urgent global concern, Textilhafen has an opportunity to scale its operations beyond Berlin, setting up a model that could be replicated in other cities.
Call to Action - Shared Ethics Matter
Textilhafen’s operations are built upon a foundation of shared ethics, from environmental responsibility to fair labor practices. They strive to be a model of sustainability in every aspect of their business. Here are the key ethical practices that define them.
It’s easy to overlook the impact of our individual purchasing decisions, but collectively, they hold immense power. As we navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world, the decisions we make as consumers hold more weight than ever before. Organizations like Textilhafen show us that a sustainable, ethical future for fashion is not just a dream—it’s already happening step by step, or t-shirt by t-shirt. In a world where fast fashion giants continue to exploit both natural resources and human labor, the push for sustainability has never been more important.
Everyone can incorporate ethical fashion choices into their own life. Whether through donating, purchasing upcycled products, or simply spreading the word, any involvement can make a difference.
The fashion industry is in dire need of change, and organizations like Textilhafen offer solutions that go beyond mere rhetoric. Their focus on ethical labor practices, environmental responsibility, and community engagement resonates with my belief that fashion can be a force for good.