Ghana Study Says Media Reports of Waste Grossly Over-Estimated; It’s Only 5% of Total Second-Hand Clothing Imports

Media reports on the amount of textile waste being imported into African countries is much lower than the estimated 40% or more with less than 5% of the imports to Ghana could be considered waste.

Staff Writer

15 May 2024

4 minutes

Long Story, Cut Short

Restrictions on textile waste exports would hinder flow of valuable resources to African countries such as Ghana, where demand for affordable clothing is high, and where the SHC trade plays a vital role in generating income, creating jobs.
Instead of imposing restrictions, the EU should focus on promoting responsible trade practices, investing in recycling infrastructure, and supporting capacity-building initiatives.
The SHC trade contributes to the overall economic activity in Ghana by creating employment opportunities in the collection, sorting, and distribution processes as well as ancillary jobs.

The volume of textile waste in Ghana has been vastly over-estimated, according to a new study. Less than 5% of the second-hand clothing imported into Ghana could be considered waste.

The assertion has been made in a report An Evaluation of the Socio-Economic and Environmental Impact of the Second-Hand Clothes Trade in Ghana, published by the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association (GUCDA) on Tuesday.

The report had been commissioned to:

Present the current reality of the second-hand clothing industry in Ghana.
Verify or challenge assertions in the global media that portray Ghana as a major dumping ground for European clothes.
Provide recommendations for public and private sector stakeholders based on findings about textile waste.

The report particularly addressed the European Union (EU). It said that instead of imposing restrictions (on textile waste exports) the EU should focus on promoting responsible trade practices, investing in recycling infrastructure, and supporting capacity-building initiatives.

THE HIGHLIGHTS: Other findings include:

A very small percentage of traders (1.9%) consider clothing in a bale to be waste when it is just stained. Similarly, a very small percentage of traders (1.6%) consider clothing in a bale to be waste when it is torn. The largest minority of traders (45.7%) consider clothing in a bale to be waste when it appears old.
A significant percentage of traders (34.9%), consider clothing in a bale to be waste when it meets multiple criteria, including being torn, appearing old, and/ or stained. This suggests a comprehensive assessment of garment condition, with multiple factors contributing to their classification as waste.
A significant portion of traders (62%) opt to offer discount sales as a strategy to move unsold inventory potentially in bulk. This approach aims to attract customers with reduced prices, stimulating demand and clearing out stagnant stock. A considerable percentage of traders, accounting for 28%, choose to donate unsold goods to charities.

THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE: The second-hand clothing (SHC) trade in Ghana serves as a cornerstone of the nation’s retail landscape.

Ghana is a significant importer of used clothing, with imports totalling $164 million in 2022 and $214 million in 2021. This signifies a substantial reliance on SHC to meet domestic demand and consumer preferences.
In 2022 and 2021 the major sources of Ghana’s used clothing imports were the United Kingdom, China, Canada, Poland, and the Netherlands. The dependence on a diverse set of countries for imports reflects the global nature of the SHC trade.
The SHC trade contributes to the overall economic activity in Ghana by creating employment opportunities in the collection, sorting, and distribution processes as well as ancillary jobs. It provides affordable clothing options for consumers, especially in lower-income brackets, contributing to poverty alleviation and improved living standards.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS: The report has made some suggestions, including:

As second-hand products are exported from the EU to Africa for reuse, the EPR fees paid by producers to support waste management costs at their end-of-life too often fail to follow them. Funds raised through EPR schemes should be diverted into supporting solutions such as establishing textile recycling facilities in importing countries such as Ghana for end-of-life textiles. This is especially important for countries such as Ghana where public funds are limited.
Restrictions would hinder the flow of valuable resources to African countries such as Ghana, where the demand for affordable clothing is high, and where the SHC trade plays a vital role in generating income, creating jobs, and promoting entrepreneurship. By facilitating the export of textiles for reuse and recycling, the EU can contribute to economic empowerment, poverty alleviation, and environmental sustainability in African communities.
The EU should focus on promoting responsible trade practices, investing in recycling infrastructure, and supporting capacity-building initiatives to ensure that the export of textiles to Africa benefits both economies while advancing sustainable development goals.

WHAT THEY SAID:

The continued use of inaccurate information circulating in some parts of the media about the second-hand clothes trade must stop. Those who've spent years using and repeating false and inaccurate figures about waste in the trade should apologise now for the damage they have done and the harm they have caused.

This report shows that the trade is low waste and an essential part of the global circular economy, providing a solution to the challenges of climate change and waste the world faces, as well as the over consumption of fast fashion that is wreaking damage on a global scale.

— Edward Atobrah Binkley
General Secretary
Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association

Of course, we want to keep contamination of bales down to an absolute minimum. However, there is growing evidence from properly researched sources that the amount of textile waste being imported in to African countries is dramatically less than the estimates of 40% or more that we see widely reported in the media, and which the Ghanaian traders are describing as being based on “deeply flawed research.” Regretfully these figures are now finding its way into policymaking papers and most notably in the recent proposal put forward by France (and backed by Sweden and Denmark) which resulted in headlines indicating that the EU might ban used clothing imports.

— Alan Wheeler
Chief Executive Officer
Textile Recycling Association

Ghana Study Says Media Reports of Waste Grossly Over-Estimated; It’s Only 5% of Total Second-Hand Clothing Imports

Media reports on the amount of textile waste being imported into African countries is much lower than the estimated 40% or more with less than 5% of the imports to Ghana could be considered waste.

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