Greenpeace Africa, a leading environmental group, has called on the Ghanaian government to ban the importation of second-hand clothing and textile waste from the global north, citing severe environmental and health risks.
At the launch of a report titled “Fast Fashion, Slow Poison: The Toxic Textile Crisis in Ghana,” the Project Lead of the Pan-African Plastics Project, Hellen Kahaso Dena, warned that these imports contain harmful chemicals that can contaminate soil and water, disrupt ecosystems, and damage public health.
“Ghana is drowning in fast fashion waste,” Ms Dena said.
Ms. Dena called for a ban on the importation of second-hand clothing commonly referred to as “foss”, “Obroni wawu” or “bend down boutique” and textile waste from foreign countries, warning of the severe environmental and health risks these imports pose.
According to Ms. Dena, much of the imported clothing classified as “used” is unusable waste, misclassified to avoid regulations on waste exports.
Head of Investigations at Greenpeace Africa, Sam Quashie-Idun, shared alarming statistics, revealing that 7.5 million articles of old clothing arrive at Accra’s Kantamanto Market each week, with half being of low quality and made from synthetic fibres.
He emphasized the urgent need for action to address “waste colonialism”, a system that disrespects African lives and the environment.
The group is calling for international legislation to tackle the issue of textile waste globally, similar to ongoing discussions on plastic pollution.
They demand that the government enact laws ensuring only resellable and usable clothing is imported and implement the ‘Polluter Pays Principle,’ pushing the Global North to take responsibility for the damage caused by the international trade in used clothing.