A coalition of global sustainability leaders has submitted a hard-hitting amicus curiae brief calling on regional and international governing bodies—including Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency, ECOWAS, UNEP, and the Office of the President of Ghana—to address the growing crisis of textile waste in Ghana.
- The submission calls on regional, national, and international authorities to enforce trade transparency, hold exporting nations accountable, and prioritise the protection of Ghana’s domestic textile economy and environment.
Titled—Legal and Policy Imperatives to Address Textile Waste Dumping in Ghana: The Case of Kantamanto Market and Korle Lagoon—the brief sheds light on the massive environmental destruction, cultural harm, and economic instability caused by the unregulated dumping of second-hand clothing—often deceptively marketed as “donations” or “recyclables.”
- The brief outlines the environmental degradation, economic harm, and cultural disruption caused by the unchecked influx of second-hand clothing—often euphemistically labelled as “donations” or “recyclables”—from Global North nations to markets like Kantamanto in Accra.
- Kantamanto Market, once a hub of circular ingenuity, has become a frontline victim of global fashion's waste crisis, with nearby Korle Lagoon suffering devastating ecological consequences.
The submission calls on regional and international governing bodies—including Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency, ECOWAS, UNEP, and the Office of the President of Ghana—to:
- Enforce transparency in textile trade
- Hold exporting countries accountable for textile dumping
- Protect Ghana’s domestic textile ecosystem
- Restore and preserve cultural and environmental integrity
Among the key signatories are Yaw Kissi Twerefour, Pan-African strategist and supply chain expert, and Irene Iri Nunziante, podcaster and cultural analyst focused on circular economies and post-colonial reform.
WHY IT MATTERS: This amicus filing is more than a legal gesture—it's a clarion call for systemic change in how fashion waste is weaponised against vulnerable economies. As Ghana’s textile landscapes buckle under the weight of unwanted clothes, this document could redefine how nations defend themselves from fashion colonialism and environmental injustice.
- The amicus filing has been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana, ECOWAS, UNEP, and the Office of the President of Ghana.
WHAT THEY SAID:
This is not just about waste. It’s about sovereignty, survival, true sustainability and cultural preservation. Ghana is not the fashion industry’s dumping ground. We are calling for justice—environmental, cultural, and economic.
— Dr. LeeAnn Teal-Rutkovsky
Amicus Brief, Author & Founder
Impact Fashion Hub
