Officials of Greenpeace Africa and traders from Katamanto in a pose with copies of the report
ACCORDING to a study conducted by Greenpeace Africa, approximately 1,500 tonnes of second-hand garments are received in Kantamanto, Ghana’s largest second-hand clothing market, with majority of these clothes being made with fossil fuel based synthetic fibres like polyester.
Nearly half of the clothes, the study revealed, are of such poor quality that they have no resale value and end up being thrown away onto open dumpsites where they are sometimes burnt, releasing hazardous chemicals into the air, or used as fuel to heat water, thereby polluting the environment.
Consequently, the study has urged the government of Ghana to ban the importation of what it termed ‘dead waste’ clothing into the Ghanaian market, especially considering its dire effects on the country’s waste and health management systems.
“The Ghanaian government needs to end the importation of dead textile waste and only import used clothes that can actually be reused as wearable clothing. They should no longer accept waste dumping from the Global North through action, legislation, industries and alternatives,” the report stated.
In its report titled: ‘Fast Fashion, Slow Poison; The Toxic Textile Crisis in Ghana’, the NGO highlights the dangers and negative impacts of fast fashion on communities in Ghana while proposing alternative measures in addressing the impacts of second-hand clothing on Ghana’s economic and environmental landscape.
Speaking at the launch of the report in Accra, Mike Anane, leader of the research team said Greenpeace, said, “The majority (89%) of clothing waste that ends up in dumpsites would eventually break into microplastics leaching into the environment.”
Madam Elizabeth Nartey and Madam Joyce, second-hand jeans and ladies’ wear traders respectively in Katamanto, bemoaned how they run huge losses in the business as most of the goods in the bails they import turn out to be unusable.
“We are not asking for a ban on the sale of used clothing. However, we are saying that the waste in the bills should cease being included. We need to rethink this business model called fast fashion”, explained Ferdinand Omondi, Communication and Story Manager, Greenpeace Africa.
Greenpeace Africa, in the report, urged the government to invest and build a sustainable local textile industry by embracing and supporting local solutions; and promote makers of clothes and fashion in Africa, using alternative business models such as cooperatives.
BY Nii Adjei Mensahfio
