The Hidden Cost of Donations: How fast-fashion is drowning Ghana in its waste
By: Victoria Meduna
Imagine yourself on a beach. You might envision your feet sinking into the sand, waves crashing against your knees, or sunbeams caressing your face as you breathe in fresh, salty air. But in Accra, Ghana, instead of waves lapping at your feet, it’s clothes—piles upon piles of clothes of every kind. Instead of fresh air, you breathe in toxic chemicals. Instead of gazing into an open horizon, you’re faced with towering, 20-story mountains of discarded clothing, standing between you and the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many Ghanaians due to the unprecedented production rate of fast fashion.
Fast fashion is a business model that promotes inexpensive, low-quality clothing made quickly and in mass quantities. Its goal is to rapidly get garments from manufacturers to retail stores, staying in lockstep with consumer demand. This model thrives on Western consumer culture, where buyers are heavily influenced and often purchase impulsively. Shopping has become a daily activity, driven by technology and online accessibility. According to the American Journal of Biological and Environmental Statistics, textile production has doubled since the 2000s, resulting in 80 billion new garments produced each year.
With this overproduction, there’s also a surplus of donated clothing. Many people donate their unwanted clothes in good faith, believing they’ll be appreciated by others. However, there’s a hidden truth behind some of these donations. With the overwhelming volume of discarded clothing and the rise in poor-quality production, many donated items can’t be resold in thrift stores like Goodwill. Consequently, millions of garments are baled up and shipped abroad in the name of "charity."
Ghana is home to one of the largest secondhand markets in the world, Kantamanto, which receives over 15 million garments every week from foreign sources under the guise of “donations.” Of these, only 40% can be resold in Kantamanto; the rest end up in landfills or at unofficial dumping sites across the city. Ghana lacks the waste infrastructure to manage the heartbreaking amount of waste it receives. The phrase “Obroni Wawu,” or “Dead White Man’s Clothes,” is common in Ghana, referencing the colonial legacy still impacting the country today. This reflects the reality that when the Global North “donates” its unwanted clothing to Ghana, it’s often for convenience, not altruism—a concept known as “waste colonialism.” Wealthier countries export their waste, disguised as relief, to poorer nations unequipped to bear the burden.
According to a report by the non-profit organization Greenpeace Africa, 89% of discarded garments are composed primarily of synthetic fibers and plastics. These materials don’t biodegrade but instead break down into harmful microplastics that contaminate the soil, air, and water. Over time, the accumulation of discarded clothing has piled up across Accra, especially along the coast. Literal mountains and “icebergs” of clothing litter the areas around Kantamanto and neighboring communities. When these clothes can’t be buried in landfills or dumped unofficially, they are burned—a practice that further pollutes the air. Studies reveal that the air in Accra and nearby settlements contains hazardous levels of benzene and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Beyond the polluting landfills and burning practices, the waste’s environmental damage extends to other areas, such as Ghana's fishing industry. Clothes have overtaken the shores and rivers near Accra, forcing fishermen to sift through clothing entangled in their nets just to find fish. “We are suffering; when I go out to fish, I come back with more clothes in my nets than fish,” said Thomas Alotey, a Kantamanto local, in an interview with The Guardian. Humans aren’t the only victims of this crisis; the native turtle population is now endangered as the clothing-covered shores prevent them from safely laying eggs.
Ghana’s future depends on radical changes in the fashion industry. If this trend continues, Accra and surrounding communities may become uninhabitable due to air toxins and lack of space.
What can be done to help Ghana? For starters, fast fashion companies, donation organizations, and governments in countries like the U.S. and U.K. must take responsibility for the impact of their production and disposal practices. Regulations on what qualifies as suitable donations must be enforced. The Ghanaian government also needs to implement local solutions, such as developing efficient waste management infrastructure and recycling programs. The situation in Ghana is a complex issue of overproduction, colonial legacy, and inadequate infrastructure. No single company, country, or person is solely to blame; only a collective effort can help protect Ghana, its environment, and its people.