Second-Hand Clothing Trade as "Waste Colonialism"

The debate surrounding the international second-hand clothing trade is one of deep, ethical contradiction. While the trade is superficially lauded as a cornerstone of the circular economy in the Global North—diverting tonnes of textiles from landfill—critical analysis and recent reports confirm that its current structure is rapidly devolving into a Second-Hand Clothing Trade as "Waste Colonialism". Two recent major reports sharply capture the complexity of the issue, offering dramatically different perspectives. The core ethical failure emerges when the Global North exports this low-quality excess, thereby destroying the fabric of recipient economies and environments, causing profound economic, cultural, and environmental damage in recipient countries, particularly in Africa.

This situation requires an urgent, focused response to transform the pipeline.

Bobby Kolade on waste colonialism and the fashion industry | Nxt Gen Design

The Conflicting Narratives: Economy vs. Ecology

Two recent major reports sharply capture the complexity of the issue. Offering dramatically different perspectives.

1. The Pro-Trade Narrative (Oxford Economics): A report commissioned by industry players like Humana People to People and Sympany+ emphasizes the economic benefits. Citing that the trade supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and stimulates billions in GDP across the EU/UK and recipient nations. For example: $76 million contribution to Ghana’s GDP in 2023, supporting 74,400 jobs. This narrative focuses on the trade as a vital component for worldwide circularity and economic inclusion.
2. The Environmental Warning (WRAP Textiles Market Situation Report 2024): The environmental report from WRAP warns of a "perfect storm" driven by the UK's addiction to cheap, fast fashion. It highlights that the increasing volume and declining quality of donated textiles is strangling the reuse sector. More post-consumer clothing is coming onto the market. However the presence of low-quality items has drastically reduced the price per tonne for used textiles by up to 57.5% in the last decade. Threatening the financial viability of sorting and recycling infrastructure in the UK.

The critical disconnect is that the economic "benefits" cited by one side are directly enabling the environmental catastrophe documented by the other. The export pipeline provides a cheap, convenient way for the Global North to offload a toxic waste problem that it is unable or unwilling to manage domestically.

The Global South: Economic Ruin and Environmental Catastrophe

The core ethical failure emerges when the Global North exports this low-quality excess. Thereby destroying the fabric of recipient economies and environments.

• Undermining Local Industry: The influx of cheap, high-volume used clothing, such as mitumba in East Africa, makes it impossible for local textile manufacturers and tailoring businesses to compete. This stifles industrial development and eliminates higher-value, sustainable employment in favour of unstable, informal jobs in the sorting and reselling sectors.
• A Financial Trap: While jobs are created, sellers in these markets face declining profits and financial instability due to the falling quality of the imported clothes. This reality contradicts the narrative of sustainable growth, instead creating a precarious reliance on the Global North's waste.
• The Landfill Crisis: The unsaleable portion—often over 40% of a bale—is discarded in recipient countries that lack the resources or infrastructure to process it. This leads to massive textile waste, pollution, and overburdened landfills. This is documented in places like Accra, Ghana, and the Atacama Desert in Chile. The export of this unmanageable waste is the very definition of "waste colonialism."

The Solution: Policy and Producer Accountability

The pervasive systemic failure necessitates mandatory, phased policy intervention in the Global North. The reports strongly suggest that voluntary agreements are no longer sufficient.

• Mandatory EPR Schemes: The most critical policy intervention called for by WRAP, and others is the mandatory implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles. This legislation would force manufacturers and brands to internalize the cost of their product's end-of-life—financial and physical. Thereby eliminating the incentive to create low-quality, disposable garments and preventing reliance on the Global South as a dumping ground.
• Product Standards and Durability: Policy must mandate product standards and durability guidelines. To ensure clothes last longer and are easily recyclable. By making the creation of high-quality items cheaper than the disposal of low-quality items, the market will be forced to shift.
• Ethical Trading Mandate: Any future model for the second-hand clothing trade must be regulated to ensure transparency and ethical practices. Prioritizing solutions that ensure dignity, equity, and environmental sustainability in the Global South. Directly aligning with ethical principles. The trade must be restructured to focus on high-quality reuse, not waste displacement.

The Second Hand Clothing Export Trade Call for Papers by The People's Hub seeks to put the jigsaw pieces together. Connecting the donation box in the UK to the waste pile in Ghana. To provide the detailed, actionable blueprints needed to achieve this systemic and ethical transformation.