clothing is often thrown out or donated to charity (such as through a clothing bin). It is also sold to consignment shops, dress agencies, flea markets, and in online auctions. Also, used clothing often is collected on an industrial scale to be sorted and shipped for re-use in poorer countries. Globally, used clothes are worth $4 billion, with the U.S. as the leading exporter at $575 million. Synthetics, which come primarily from petrochemicals, are not renewable or biodegradable. Excess inventory of clothing is sometimes destroyed to preserve brand value. Global trade EU member states imported €166 billion of clothes in 2018; 51% came from outside the EU (€84 billion). EU member states exported €116 billion of clothes in 2018, including 77% to other EU member states. See also Children's clothing Clothing fetish Clothing laws by country Cotton recycling Dress code Global trade of secondhand clothing Higg Index List of individual dresses Organic cotton Reconstructed clothing Right to clothing Sustainable fashion Textile recycling Thermoregulation Timeline of requisite dress in Western civilization Vintage clothing Western dress Zero-waste fashion References Further reading ebook Paperback (see especially sections 5 – 'Clothing' – & 6 – 'Protective clothing'). External links Official website of the Textile and Apparel Association – scholarly publications (archived 16 February 2008) Articles containing video clips