The Circular Economy in Action or a Linear System in Disguise? The International Secondhand Clothing Trade in the Republic of Congo

The environmental, economic, and social impacts of the global secondhand clothing (SHC) trade are under increasing scrutiny. Although often promoted as a paradigmatic example of the circular economy, the fate of used garments in importing countries, primarily in the Global South, remains poorly understood. This study addresses this gap through a qualitative case study in the Republic of Congo, based on empirical data from 12 days of fieldwork with 15 actors: importers, vendors, and upcyclers. It identifies three local configurations: the conventional SHC trade (A), a revelatory case based on a vertically integrated model (B), and upcycling practices (C). The study characterizes the SHC trade as a system of partial, stratified circularity, in which the different configurations display varying capacities to slow, intensify, or close material loops. Configuration A dominates but achieves only partial local circularity, with up to 50% of goods reportedly discarded immediately and employment conditions remaining precarious. In response, the study proposes a hybrid model that combines Configuration B, which locally achieves a 90% sell-through rate and provides decent employment, with Configuration C to upcycle unwanted or locally irrelevant garments. It argues that, beyond material efficiency, the circular performance of supply chains depends critically on the organization of information flows, including consumer feedback loops, coordination mechanisms to avoid information asymmetry, and contextual embeddedness to ensure the local relevance of imported garments. Future research should test the hybrid configuration to evaluate its impacts across the triple bottom line and investigate the enabling role of legislation, such as extended producer responsibility schemes.