The Impact of Second-Hand Clothing Trade in Ghana

Introduction

• Ships arrive daily on the coast of West Africa with a relentless cargo of second-hand clothing.
• In Ghana, referred to as "Abrawa."
• Charity shop cast-offs from Western countries often arrive in unwearable conditions.
• The trade in used clothes creates jobs but also contributes to environmental issues (toxic landfills).

The Second-Hand Clothing Trade

• Ghana becomes a dumping ground for Western textile waste.
• "Pentacles" refers to the unwanted fashion that ends its journey in Ghana.
• Environmental catastrophe due to the sheer volume of second-hand clothing arriving.

Daily Life in Accra

• Working day in Accra starts early as locals migrate to the city center from slums like Old Fatima.
• Aisha Idrisu and her 18-month-old son participate in the second-hand clothing trade.
• Asari Asamoah, a successful importer, checks his orders of used clothing.

Market Dynamics

• Cantonmento Market is a bustling hub for second-hand clothing in West Africa.
• Retailers compete for quality items from new bales, which can lead to financial risks.
• Importers can pay substantial amounts for containers with no guarantee of quality.

Economic Impact

• Asari imports approximately 3 million items of used clothing annually, mostly from the UK.
• Profit margins are significant if the quality is good; otherwise, there are losses.
• Local textile makers struggle to compete with low-priced Western cast-offs (output down 75% since the 1980s).

Environmental Concerns

• Every evening, waste from the market is collected, contributing to a staggering volume of textile waste.
• Solomonoy, the city’s waste manager, reports 40% of daily shipments are unsellable.
• Approximately 160 tons of textile waste are disposed of daily from the used clothing industry.

Personal Stories

• A single mother of three relies on selling imported clothing, dealing with precarious financial conditions.
• Many customers require credit, complicating her business further.

Environmental Catastrophe

• Rains wash unwanted clothing into open sewers, causing blockages and choking aquatic life.
• Liz Ricketts documents the dangers posed by clothing waste, impacting swimming and fishing communities.

Industry Struggles

• Emmanuel Ajab, another importer, observes decreasing quality in imported clothing.
• Many items are deemed trash, leading to significant financial losses.
• Informal dumping sites emerge as formal landfills overflow with textile waste.

Conclusion

• The second-hand clothing trade provides livelihoods but contributes to an ongoing waste crisis.
• Consumers and brands must take responsibility for the waste generated in the fashion industry.
• There is a call for Western countries to reconsider the quality of items donated to avoid exporting waste issues to countries like Ghana.