Retailers Destroy Unworn Clothing

In the dead of winter in New York, where a third of the city is poor, stores such as H&M and Wal-Mart destroy and throw away hundreds of unworn clothing items nightly. The New York Times reports that the branches in the busy Herald Square area either slash or punch holes in perfectly good pieces of clothing. A spokesperson for Wal-Mart claimed the company typically donates unworn garments to charities and pledged to investigate the alleged 35th Street store. The New York Times' inquiries to H&M headquarters about were not returned. Around the corner from the store, however, is a collection point for New York Cares, an organization that conducts an annual coat drive.