As the world observes the International Day of Zero Waste 2025, GAIA Africa is calling for immediate action to address the growing crisis of fashion and textile waste, which is severely impacting African communities.
The fashion industry generates92 million tonnes of textile waste annually, much of which ends up in the Global South. In Ghana, for example, Kantamanto Market has become a hub for secondhand clothing, where approximately 15 million items are imported each year, commonly referred to as obroni wawu or “dead white man’s clothes”.
« Africa cannot become a dumping ground for fast fashion’s waste. This is not charity; this is waste colonialism. We refuse to be the world’s landfill. We demand urgent policies that stop the export of unmanageable textile waste to Africa and hold corporations accountable for the full lifecycle of their products », said Desmond Alugnoa, Ghana, GAIA Africa’s Program Manager for the Zero Waste and Climate Program, said.
Unfortunately, most of these garments are of such poor quality that they are discarded immediately. This waste fills landfills, clogs waterways, and pollutes the environment, all while undermining local textile industries and sustainable economies.
This year’s theme, “Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles”, highlights the hidden reality of the global fashion industry, which produces excessive waste waste that often contaminates African nations.
« Africa refuses to be at the receiving end of textile waste, especially from the west because our systems cannot handle them, but even if they could, it is unconscionable to produce waste that you cannot manage. The fashion industry must embrace circular design, responsible sourcing, and innovative recycling to move towards true zero waste. On this International Day of Zero Waste, we must advance systemic change that prioritises sustainability over fast fashion’s disposable culture », said Jacob Johnson Attakpah, Ghana, Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO) Project Manager for Zero Waste Cities Program.
GAIA Africa Calls for the following immediate actions : Ban on Textile Waste Dumping :Ban the export of unmanageable second-hand clothing that cannot be reused, repurposed, or recycled in Africa.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) : Require fashion brands to take responsibility for the waste they generate, ensuring sustainable end-of-life solutions for textiles.
Investment in Local Textile Industries : Support African textile production through policies that promote quality, sustainability, and circular economies.
Consumer Awareness and Action : Encourage consumers worldwide to move away from fast fashion and adopt sustainable clothing choices.
« The influx of second hand and used clothes which are being imported in large amounts is partly responsible for the textile waste crisis. Those trading in these second hand and used clothes are claiming that they are « cheap » and affordable to all. However they ignore the huge cost coming with the waste they generate since these textiles are used for a short time and then dumped. Some countries in the global north are also practicing waste colonialism by using the used textile trade as a door to export their waste to poorer countries. Also, the companies producing these items in richer countries for first time use are also pretending to be unaware of the harm they are causing and seem to be far from taking responsibility to address the waste problem they are causing when their products are consumed as second hands in poorer countries », Said Nirere Sadrach, Uganda, End Plastic Pollution (EPP) Founder and Team Leader.
As we observe the International Day of Zero Waste, GAIA Africa urges African governments, policymakers, and citizens to reject the waste colonialism that threatens Africa’s environment and to build a fashion industry that respects both people and the planet.
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