Where Do Our Donated Clothes Go?
By Alicia Bennett
It is a societal norm to donate your used clothing once you’ve decided you are done wearing it. Whether that is after ten years of wear or only after it’s been seen on Instagram, society has now deemed the garment worthy for someone less fortunate to use. These garments could be found at your local charity shop or at a bigger franchise such as Goodwill, but where exactly do our donated clothes go? In the past 20 years, there has been an influx of clothing from Western countries being sent to African countries creating the rise of the used clothing trade across the continent. Although donating clothing can feel like a righteous act, there are unintended consequences we should know about.
The Kantamanto market in Ghana’s capital, Accra, receives around 15 million items of used clothing each week from various countries in the Western world, including the United States, England, and Canada. Of the clothing received only a small portion is able to be resold by the local people, while 40% goes directly to landfills. The way the market works is: Western importers sell bales of clothing to local importers in Accra through credit which then work with women porters, also known as kayayei, to take the bales to retailers so that they can alter and sell the viable clothes to consumers. Since not all clothes can be sold, they either get packed up again to be sent away once more or, more commonly, get thrown out in one of Accra’s growing landfills. The constant dumping of unwanted or unusable clothing leads to the release of toxic dyes entering the soil and coastline of Ghana. This is not only dangerous to marine life but to the community who are growing food and drinking the water nearby. Unofficial dumpsites are also being used to discard these rejected clothes that end up being burned or placed in drains leading to flooding and the spread of diseases such as malaria and cholera. The local economy in Accra suffers from the loss of opportunity to grow infrastructure for artisanal businesses or manufacturing facilities. This means a consumer in this market is now only given the choice of worn items provided by the West, excluding them from the option of buying new clothes. The privilege of having a choice - whether to buy a garment either new or used - is something we often take for granted.
Secondhand garments find their way to African countries through charity retailers such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Oxfam. Before reaching Ghana, some donations are able to be resold or repurposed as insulation, whereas the remaining pieces get repackaged and sold to textile exporters. The people of Accra refer to the clothing they receive as Obroni Wawu, which translates as “the white man has died clothes” but more likely than not the people giving away these items are very much alive. American nonprofit, the OR Foundation, is a leader in actively publicizing the ongoing challenges caused by the influx of clothing as well as starting grassroots solutions. For example, the ‘Mabilgu Program’ coordinates apprenticeship opportunities for women porters (kayayei) to teach them how to upcycle unwanted textiles. This opportunity gives these women more options and autonomy in their careers, while providing an opportunity to earn higher wages. The ‘Long Recovery Project’ showcases testimonies from waste management experts working as waste pickers at the Kpone landfill. The state of Accra’s landfills and the inability to control what comes in continue to leave the community members feeling hopeless.
The Kantamanto market is an integral part of the Accra economy and community creating livelihoods for over 30,000 people. However, the amount of garments being imported is harming those same people and leaving them to manage waste they did not produce. So what can you do about it? As a consumer and a citizen you can control the individual impact you carry. This means shopping less, buying higher quality garments, and extending the life of your products through repairing and upcycling. As a business owner or designer, be intentional with how your product can be used for many years and purposes. Your platform can also be leveraged to educate your consumer by sharing the stories and initiatives from the OR Foundation. If you would like to collaborate directly with the OR foundation please visit their website here: https://deadwhitemansclothes.org/contact. Though the responsibility does not just fall on you, creating a change in mindset can have and leave a long-lasting positive impact. A shift like this is difficult and will occur slowly over time, but it is crucial for the sake of the planet and the quality of life for the Ghanaian people.
