Author: Tara Zhang
November 26, 2024
The dangers of the fast fashion industry are often discussed in terms of production, but the story doesn’t end when clothes leave the store. After they’re worn and discarded—whether donated, resold, or thrown away—only 10-20% of donated clothing actually reaches thrift stores. The remaining garments are often shipped across oceans to second-hand markets worldwide, ultimately ending up in landfills. Out of sight of the original consumers and producers, this influx of fast-fashion waste from the Global North has created severe environmental and public health challenges in countries like Ghana. The journey of discarded clothes highlights how fast fashion’s hidden impacts extend beyond production, shedding light on the intersection between environmental damage and human rights issues in affected communities.
This dependency on imported second-hand clothing traces back to Ghana’s colonial past when British rule imposed trade systems that made local economies reliant on foreign goods. Ghanaians were made to wear Western clothing to school and church, and due to the high prices, locals depended on imported second-hand clothes to abide by these rules. After independence, Ghana continued to import used clothing as an affordable alternative for its citizens and as a means to stimulate the economy. Second-hand clothing imported from the EU contributed $76 million to Ghana’s GDP in 2023, including $35 million in direct contributions. The trade supports 60,000 informal and formal jobs, making Ghana extremely dependent on it. What was once a sustainable practice has transformed into a flood of textile waste driven by the fast-fashion industry. The legacy of colonial trade structures has paved the way for today’s waste-dumping practices, significantly burdening countries such as Ghana. This flow highlights a lingering economic imbalance, where consumption and disposal in wealthy countries promote environmental degradation and economic strain in recipient communities.
Although initially established as a means for locals to abide by imposed rules of colonization, Kantamanto, Ghana receives 15 million tonnes of garments each week from the Global North, making it one of the largest second-hand markets in the world. This clothing arrives in random bales ranging in quality and variety and is purchased by Kantamanto sellers with hopes of finding quality products to resell. However, with the rise of fast fashion, clothing arrives in large quantities yet with significantly decreasing quality. Out of the 15 million tonnes of second-hand clothing that enter every week, around 40% leave as waste. Unsellable garments accumulate faster than they can be disposed of, clogging waterways, piling up in landfills, and leaching dyes and chemicals into the soil. Eventually, they are disposed of at informal waste sites or burned in public washhouses, causing significant environmental harm.
On the banks of the Korle Lagoon in Accra, Ghana, a 20-meter landfill looms—around 60% of it is estimated to be unwanted clothing. This is just one example of the 'plastic beaches' created by fast-fashion waste, where natural habitats are smothered by unusable clothing and infiltrated by microplastics, largely from synthetic polyester. While research on microplastics' full impact is still emerging, existing studies already indicate significant health risks. Clothes that reach the ocean damage marine habitats, contaminate food sources, and degrade water quality. Meanwhile, with insufficient space to contain this growing waste, many garments are burned in public washhouses. A study titled ‘fast fashion, slow poison’ from Greenpeace found that air samples from Accra’s Old Fadama settlement show dangerously high levels of toxic substances, including carcinogens like benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Once framed as merely an environmental issue, this crisis now threatens public health and the quality of life of many local Ghanaians, making it a human rights concern.
Ghana finds itself in a difficult position, where many individuals rely on the second-hand clothing trade for economic opportunities, yet the influx of fast-fashion waste has led to severe environmental damage and social harm. For many Ghanaians, especially those from low-income backgrounds, the import of second-hand clothes offers a vital source of income and affordable clothing options. Vendors in markets like Kantamanto depend on this trade to support their families, and shoppers rely on the low prices to meet their needs. However, this practice has evolved into a form of 'waste colonialism,' with vast quantities of fast-fashion waste flooding into the country, impacting the local environment and raising concerns around public health. The environmental and social costs of managing this waste—driven largely by the consumption habits of wealthier nations—are disproportionately shouldered by local communities. Thus, while the second-hand clothing trade provides an economic lifeline for many, it simultaneously undermines their quality of life, forcing Ghanaians to bear the burden of a waste system rooted in global inequality.
The fast-fashion industry plays a central role in perpetuating this waste crisis, creating a cycle that begins with overproduction and ends with waste burdened on countries such as Ghana. Companies in wealthy nations capitalize on trends by churning out massive quantities of low-cost, low-quality garments, often intended to be worn only a few times before disposal. While marketing campaigns encourage consumers to ‘donate’ old clothes, framing it as an act of charity, the reality is that much of this donated clothing is diverted to countries like Ghana, where it becomes an environmental and social burden. This practice allows both brands and consumers to avoid confronting the consequences of overconsumption. The fashion industry and governments in the Global North must be held accountable for the downstream effects of their practices, recognizing the environmental and human rights costs that are disproportionately borne by communities far removed from the origin of this waste.
As consumers, we hold significant power in shaping the future of the fashion industry. It is imperative that we educate ourselves on the true costs of fast fashion and amplify the voices of those impacted by its practices. By prioritizing sustainability, supporting ethical brands, and being mindful of our consumption habits, we can contribute to a collective movement that advocates for change.
Glossary
Bales: a compressed bound bundle of materials such as hay, cotton, straw, or other agricultural products
Benzene: a significant component of crude oil, commonly used as an industrial solvent and as a starting material for producing various chemicals, including plastics, resins, and synthetic fibers. It is a known carcinogen.
Carcinogens: A substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue, often found in chemicals, tobacco smoke, and other pollutants.
Colonialism: The practice by which a powerful country takes control over a weaker region, exploiting its resources, land, and people for economic and political gain. This often involves imposing the colonizer’s culture, governance, and economic structures, leading to long-term impacts on the colonized society.
Economic Imbalance: A state where wealth, resources, and opportunities are unevenly distributed within or between economies, often leading to inequalities.
Economic Strain: The pressure or stress on an economy, organization, or household due to financial demands exceeding available resources, potentially leading to financial hardship.
Ethical Brands: Companies or products that prioritize ethical practices, such as fair labor, environmental sustainability, transparency, and animal welfare, in their business operations.
Environmental Degradation: The deterioration of the natural environment due to human activities, which can result in loss of biodiversity, pollution, and destruction of ecosystems.
Fast Fashion: A business model that focuses on rapidly producing low-cost, trendy clothing, often at the expense of quality, sustainability, and fair labor practices.
Fast Fashion Waste: The waste created from the production and consumption of fast fashion clothing
Formal Jobs: Jobs that are subject to labor laws.
GDP: Growth Domestic Product, a measure of Economic Growth calculated by the total goods and services produced in a country in a year.
Global North: A term used to refer to economically developed countries, primarily in North America, Europe, and parts of Asia, that have higher incomes, advanced infrastructures, and industrialized economies.
Global Inequality: Disparities in wealth, resources, and opportunities between different countries and regions, often reflecting differences between developed and developing nations.
Informal Jobs: Jobs that are not subject to national labor laws.
Landfills: Sites for the disposal of waste material by burial, often associated with environmental issues like pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and contamination of soil and water.
Leaching: The process through which chemicals or contaminants dissolve and spread from materials, such as waste or soil, into nearby water sources, potentially causing pollution.
Overconsumption: The excessive use of resources beyond what is sustainable or necessary, leading to resource depletion, environmental degradation, and waste accumulation.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: A group of organic compounds that form during the incomplete burning of fossil fuels, wood, and other organic materials, some of which are carcinogenic and hazardous to health.
Second-Hand Markets: Markets where previously owned goods, particularly clothing and household items, are bought and sold, promoting reuse and reducing waste.
Social Harm: Negative impacts on individuals or communities, such as inequality, exploitation, or social instability, often resulting from unethical practices, social injustices, or structural inequalities.
Sustainability: The practice of meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Waste Trade/Colonialism: The practice of exporting waste from higher-income countries to lower-income countries, which are often ill-equipped to handle this waste
Washhouses: Traditionally, these facilities are used for cleaning or laundering clothing on a large scale.
Waste System: The processes and infrastructure for managing waste, including its collection, transportation, treatment, recycling, and disposal. A well-organized waste system aims to minimize environmental impact and promote sustainable waste management practices, such as recycling and composting.