The Land Of Waste
How the fashion industry dumps the problem into Africa
A land of waste describes the unbelievable amount of discarded clothing that is regularly dumped in Africa.. About three million pieces of clothing every year. Endless layers of textiles form mountains high of fashion waste polluting the land and waters. A terrifying sight that illustrates the destruction the Western world inflicts on nature, known as waste colonialism.
Fast-fashion waste recycling?
People often believe that clothes discarded into the recycling container (the yellow ones here in Italy) are reused. Usually, charities are in charge of these garments. But fast fashion items are of poor quality. So, large quantities can’t be resold and eventually end up in a massive toxic blob in Africa.
Y2K: the overproduction era
Since 2000, global clothing production has doubled, but the quality has steadily decreased. As we’ve already discussed, brands accelerated the overproduction model. At the same time, they promoted overconsumption, kickstarting the toxic cycle.
Brands overproduce up to 40% every season.
Waste shipped to Africa: waste colonialism, the western solution
In West Africa, everyday cargos arrive full of dirty clothes, and most get there in unwearable condition. In Ghana, a dumping ground for textiles, they call them the “dead white man’s clothes.” Moreover, Western garments are so cheap that local manufacturers can’t compete (source ABC.net.au) with their original textiles.
The city of Accra has to find a place to dispose of 160 tons of textile waste every day! Liz Ricketts, a circular economy advocate, has spent about ten years documenting what happens in Ghana.During the monsoon season, the heavy rains drag the textiles into the sea. Then they return to the shore buried in the sand.
In Accra, there’s no room left to throw away clothing.
ABC News: the land of waste
We recommend to watch this video by ABC News:
Waste colonialism & the land of waste
If waste is the byproduct of a fashion industry based on an overproduction pattern, consumers play an active part, too. Indeed, they contribute to this environmental disaster with their consumption habits. Perhaps years ago, information was lacking, but now it’s everywhere! Everyone can understand the downside of cheap clothing.
There are people who are underpaid to make cheap clothes and, at the end of the cycle, other people who earn 4 dollars a day collecting fashion waste. Slaves, indeed!
The western world’s solution was to ship the problem to Africa–waste colinialism. But that has resulted in a land of waste, which we are leaving to the coming generations.
Fashion brands are responsible, but so we are if we don’t change our consumption habits.