Audio By Carbonatix
Ghana is being swamped by millions of unwanted clothes from the West, creating an environmental disaster as textile waste piles up across the country.
The scale of damage to public health and the environment has been laid bare in a new Greenpeace report that exposes the devastating impact of discarded clothing on communities and ecosystems in Ghana.
About 15 million items of second-hand clothing arrive in Ghana each week. Nearly half cannot be resold.
The unsellable clothes end up in informal dumps or are burned in public washhouses, contaminating the air, soil and water.
The fast fashion industry’s overproduction and the consumer culture that drives it has led to the import of 15 million garments of clothing into Accra, Ghana through the port of Tema every week.
A huge amount of that is completely unusable. pic.twitter.com/qgDDHEfxPa— Greenpeace Africa (@Greenpeaceafric) October 13, 2024
"The situation is catastrophic. These clothes are literally poisoning our communities," said Sam Quashie-Idun from Greenpeace Africa, speaking to RFI.
The report shows how Ghana has become a dumping ground for the world's unwanted textiles, with devastating consequences for local ecosystems.
"What we're seeing is environmental racism. The Global North is using Ghana as its trash can," said Hellen Dena of Greenpeace Africa.
The flood of cheap, disposable fashion reflects broader problems with global waste management and environmental justice.
To explore this issue further, RFI spoke to Sam Quashie-Idun and Hellen Dena from Greenpeace Africa.
Credit: RFI
Latest Stories
-
Suspect in custody after student killed in Kentucky university shooting
2 hours -
The Inconvenient Truth: Deliverism not the Barracks must hold Africa together
3 hours -
We’ll work with what we have to please our customers – ECG assures after tariff cutback
3 hours -
Lithuania declares emergency situation over Belarus balloons
4 hours -
Trump criticises ‘decaying’ European countries and ‘weak’ leaders
4 hours -
Afroquality announces ‘Becoming Us’ – a first-of-its-kind PanAfrican micro series redefining how brands tell African stories
5 hours -
Government’s reduction of Lithium Royalty Rate from 10% to 5% raises serious concerns – APL
5 hours -
“Africa cannot afford to be a bystander” – Mahama
5 hours -
Halt ratification of revised lithium agreement between Ghana and Barari
5 hours -
Gov’t will continue to prioritise quality healthcare at all levels – Vice President
5 hours -
Why the NDC’s reduced Lithium Royalty Rate proposal is “Strange and Legally Baseless” – Africa Policy Lens
6 hours -
Your non-involvement enabled us to speedily approve our estimates – Ayariga trolls angry Minority
6 hours -
Christian Council commends government’s Sanitation Week initiative ahead of Christmas
6 hours -
Ghana risks losing about US$630 million if government reduces lithium royalty rate from 10% to 5% – Africa Policy Lens warns
6 hours -
Parliament approves budget allocations despite Minority’s chaotic scenes over Kpandai dispute
6 hours