Ghana is facing an environmental health crisis due to the rising influx of second-hand and used clothing waste imported from Western countries.
Ghana is unknowingly subjected to the aftermath of the West’s so-called “spring cleaning,” as a growing influx of used and second-hand clothing creates an environmental health disaster.
Every week, approximately 15 million second-hand garments are packed into 40-foot containers and shipped from the Global North to this West African nation, primarily arriving at the Tema Port.
In 2022, Ghana imported 121,934 tons of discarded clothing, locally referred to as “obroni wawu” or “dead white man’s clothes.” The term, while striking, fails to fully encapsulate the devastating impact of this waste.
Research conducted by Greenpeace Africa positions Ghana as the world’s second-largest importer of used clothing after Pakistan, with a 5.1% share of the global market.
While second-hand clothing could symbolize sustainability, what Ghana receives annually from countries like the UK goes far beyond wearable items—it inherits an ecological burden.
Most of these clothes end up in Accra’s Kantamanto Market, a bustling hub housing 5,000 stalls and employing 30,000 people. Yet, many garments are unsellable, adding to an ever-growing waste problem.
Greenpeace Africa’s report titled Fast Fashion, Slow Poison: The Toxic Textile Crisis in Ghana highlights the overwhelming volume of textile waste polluting water bodies, beaches, and vast lands.
The organization is calling for urgent actions, including bans on unwearable textile exports, improved waste management infrastructure, and accountability measures for fashion brands under the “polluter pays” principle.
During Berlin Fashion Week in February 2024, Greenpeace made a bold statement by returning 4.6 tons of discarded clothing to Germany. The shipment bore the message “Return to Sender” and was displayed near Brandenburg Gate.
Will the fashion industry heed this call for a sustainable, circular future? Only time will tell.
