Health Crisis in Ghana Due to Used Clothing’s Toxic Textiles
A new report by Greenpeace Africa and Germany showed how fast fashion inflicts ramified and devastating consequences on the people and the planet through the global second-hand clothing trade. The report titled "Fast Fashion, Slow Poison: The Toxic Textile Crisis in Ghana" focuses on this West African country and highlights the environmental and public health damage this unsustainable sector is causing in Ghana.
As the second largest final destination of used clothing from Europe by volume, Ghana is inundated with about 15 million used clothing items every week. Much of it is from fast fashion brands and chiefly made from synthetic fibers. Half of these clothes reach Ghana with no resale value, and they are tossed out by the stallholders of Kantamanto, the capital's largest second-hand market and one of the biggest on the planet. From there, these low-quality used garments end up in several informal dumpsites in Accra or burnt as fuel in public washhouses.
The team behind this Greenpeace investigation collected air and soot samples from three of these public baths. These samples revealed that several hazardous chemical substances, including carcinogenic ones such as benzene or PAHs, contaminate the air and surfaces of these washhouses. This contamination jeopardizes the local community's health, which is exposed to dangerous chemicals at levels far above European safety standards.
The impact of fashion overproduction and overconsumption doesn't end there. Through infrared tests, the Greenpeace team discovered that a significant amount of this textile waste is made of petroleum-based synthetic fibers. Most of these synthetic fibers were mixed with other fibers into blended fabrics that would have prevented European recycling.
These discarded garments end up in the waterways with countless repercussions for local ecosystems. Because these garments are often made of non-biodegradable fabrics, they are bound to release microplastics and other chemicals into the environment. The clothes amassed in dumpsites are also threatening the local fauna. Their toxic leachate reaches not only the soil, groundwater, and agricultural lands but also lagoons and the Densu wetlands, a Ramsar Site located in the Greater Accra Region.
The influx of imported and second-hand clothing permitted by trade liberalization policies had also hindered the growth of the "Made in Africa" clothing sector, which before that, was growing in the 1960s and 70s. Despite the many challenges, this industry still has significant potential for sustainable development that benefits the local communities and economies.
On the other hand, fast fashion, with its mass production and low-quality unsustainable clothing, has changed the face of the second-hand clothing business in Ghana. The environmental injustice taking place in the country goes to show how fast fashion and the dominant production models of the West are an expression of the neocolonialist system that allows these Global North companies to pollute and do so without paying any consequences. The United Kingdom is the largest exporter of second-hand clothes to Ghana, followed by China, with the top 10 manufacturers of unsold garments from the second-hand market being fast fashion brands such as H&M, Primark, and Zara.
Given their responsibility for the ongoing crisis, Greenpeace stressed the need for Global North and its regulators to look at the evidence of the effect of fast fashion and overconsumption in second-hand clothing importer countries and develop solutions in tandem with them. In addition, extended Producer Responsibility agreements that follow the Polluter Pays Principle can also ensure the producers are held accountable for the impact of their products at all points of their life cycle.
«The evidence we have collected shows that the fast fashion industry is not just a fashion issue—it's a public health crisis. The clothes we tested are literally poisoning the people of Accra. » said the report author, Sam Quashie-Idun.«The situation in Ghana reflects a neocolonial mindset where the Global North profits from overproduction and waste, while countries like Ghana pay the price. It's time for a global treaty that addresses this imbalance and protects communities from the harm caused by fast fashion. » added Quashie-Idun, who also highlighted the importance of local solutions. «The Ghanaian government together with the international community should support the development of a sustainable local textile industry in Ghana, which can alleviate the waste problem while providing economic opportunities. »
About the Author
Roberta Fabbrocino is a journalist specialized in climate change and sustainability-related topics. Her articles have been published in several international eco-publications. Roberta also works as a content writer for sustainable companies.
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