ACCRA, Ghana — In the bustling secondhand clothing market of Ghana’s capital, early risers sift through heaps of garments, seeking both bargains and designer items among the stalls filled with previously owned clothing brought in from the West.
Just a short stroll away, an upcycled fashion and thrifting festival captivates onlookers with its style and creativity. Models showcase outfits crafted from discarded materials sourced from the nearby Kantamanto market, featuring everything from floral tops and denim pants to leather accessories and socks.
This event is known as Obroni Wawu October, a title derived from a local Akan term that translates to “dead white man’s clothes.” The event’s organizers view this festival as a means to challenge the harmful cycle of Western overconsumption that contributes to environmental woes in Africa, where many of these used garments become waste in rivers and trash heaps.
“Rather than letting textile waste congest our drainage systems, beaches, or landfills, I chose to repurpose it into something useful,” explained Richard Asante Palmer, a designer participating in the annual festival facilitated by the Or Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on the intersection of environmental sustainability and fashion innovation.
Ghana ranks among the top countries in Africa for importing used clothing, also relaying garments acquired from nations like the United Kingdom, Canada, and China to various West African territories, the U.S., and the U.K., as reported by the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association.
However, a significant portion of the imported clothing arrives in such poor condition that vendors must dispose of them to accommodate new shipments. According to Neesha-Ann Longdon, the business manager for the Or Foundation’s executive director, approximately 40% of the millions of garments sent to Ghana each week end up as waste.
Conversely, the clothing dealers association provided a much lower figure in a recent report detailing the economic and ecological effects of Ghana’s secondhand clothing sector, claiming that only about 5% of these items are discarded due to unsellable or unreusable conditions.
In many African regions, purchasing pre-owned clothing—along with used cars and electronics—remains economical, as these items are more affordable compared to new alternatives. Shopping secondhand also offers a rare opportunity for individuals to acquire designer brands that are otherwise out of reach for the majority.
Nevertheless, Ghana’s rapidly growing population of 34 million and its strained infrastructure are ill-equipped to handle the influx of discarded clothing. Beaches in Accra are often covered in mounds of textile waste, and the lagoon, which functions as a primary drainage outlet, flows into the Gulf of Guinea.
“The trend of fast fashion has led to a surge in the production of lower-quality goods,” Longdon noted.
Local fisherman Jonathan Abbey revealed that his fishing nets frequently haul in textile waste from the waters. He lamented that unsold clothes are generally discarded in the Korle Lagoon, ultimately polluting the sea.
The rise of online shopping has accelerated this waste problem, pointed out Andrew Brooks, a researcher at King’s College London and author of “Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-hand Clothes.”
In countries such as the U.K., items no longer wanted typically become charity donations, but some garments are stolen from roadside donation bins and sent abroad to markets perceived as possessing greater demand, according to Brooks. Investigations into such thefts are scarce, as these items are often regarded as having little value.
Donors frequently believe their unwanted clothing will be recycled, donated, or sold locally rather than being exported overseas, Brooks added.
The flood of secondhand clothing to Africa has spurred complaints about the continent becoming a dumping ground. In 2018, Rwanda pushed back against U.S. pressure by increasing tariffs on these imports, citing concerns that Western waste was undermining domestic textile industry developments. Furthermore, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni announced intentions to outlaw imports of “clothing from dead people” last year.
Experts suggest that trade restrictions may not significantly lessen textile pollution or foster local clothing production in Africa, given the low profit margins and limited incentives for local designers.
Amid this lack of effective pollution control measures, initiatives like those from the Or Foundation are working to engage youth and fashion innovators to creatively utilize scrap materials.
According to foundation co-founder Allison Bartella, Ghana’s beaches were previously free from discarded clothing until the country’s waste management challenges escalated in recent years.
“Looking ahead to 2024, we now see mountains of textile waste adorning our shores,” she remarked.
