A well-known environmental organisation has warned of the serious health and environmental concerns that come with importing secondhand clothes from the global north, sometimes known as “foss,” “broni wawu,” or “bend down boutique,” and has called on the Ghanaian government to outlaw the importation of these items.
Hellen Kahaso Dena, Project Lead of the Pan-African Plastics Project, spoke at the launch of a report titled “Fast Fashion, Slow Poison: The Toxic Textile Crisis in Ghana.” She emphasised the risks associated with importing textile waste, which frequently contains toxic chemicals that can contaminate soil and water, disrupt ecosystems, and harm public health.
Dena claims that a large portion of imported apparel that is labelled as “used” is actually rubbish that cannot be used and was mislabeled to get around laws governing waste exports. She denounced the practice, pointing out that it has disastrous consequences for the environment and public health because Africa has turned into a landfill for Europe’s unwanted textiles. She also demanded that the “Polluter Pays Principle” be put into effect, holding the Global North accountable for the harm done by the global trade in secondhand clothes.
Greenpeace Africa’s Head of Investigations, Mr. Sam Quashie-Idun, presented startling data regarding the used clothing trade. He disclosed that every week, 7.5 million used garments arrive at Accra’s Kantamanto Market; of these, half are of bad quality and composed of synthetic fibres. Up to 60% of these products, according to stallholder estimates, are unsellable and frequently wind up in makeshift landfills or are burned, unleashing dangerous chemicals. The group is advocating for global legislation to address the problem of textile waste, much like the conversations that are currently taking place around plastic pollution.
SOURCE: https://dew360.net
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