BRUSSELS – At a recent conference in Belgium, stakeholders from the textile recycling industry pushed back against Greenpeace’s claims about the extent of textile waste being exported to Africa, highlighting widespread confusion on the issue. While Greenpeace – and other NGOs – have claimed as much as 50 per cent of second-hand clothing exports to Africa are unsuitable for reuse and end up as waste, representatives from African nations and textile recyclers disputed these figures. They said there is a need for clearer data and understanding in the debate over textile waste and circularity.
The inaugural Textile Circularity conference, organised by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) in Brussels, included representatives from Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. They presented detailed research suggesting the amount of textile ‘waste’ exported is typically in the single digits. They said African businesses would not import textiles from Europe or the United States if they were not usable.
Marlvin Owusu, a member of the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association, criticised the misconception surrounding second-hand clothing. He said that while European law might define “waste” as items no longer intended for their original use, the Ghanaian perspective was more practical: waste was considered clothing that could not be repurposed. According to an independent study commissioned by his organisation, only up to 5 per cent of imported textiles could be classified as waste, a figure far below what Greenpeace and other media outlets claim. Owusu said no business model could sustain operations with a waste level of 40 per cent, dismissing such figures as exaggerated.
Similarly, Teresiah Wairimu, chair of the Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya, refuted claims of significant waste, citing a figure of just 1.89 per cent for clothing waste in Nairobi. She stressed that Kenya’s government regulates imports to prevent the entry of unsellable waste and that the country is a leader in building a circular economy through textile use. Wairimu sad it was offensive to suggest that Kenyans were importing waste, highlighting that two million people are directly employed in the industry, with over 20 million others relying on it for their livelihoods.
Supporting these views, Michelle Wilson of the WasteAid charity, who conducted a survey in Uganda’s Owino textile market, reported waste levels of around 1 per cent, mainly from machinists repurposing clothes rather than sellers. She explained that discrepancies in waste definitions might account for the higher waste claims. In local markets, clothing not immediately sold may circulate for a long time before being repurposed or sold, meaning actual waste levels are low.
Despite these reassurances from African countries, concerns persist in Europe. Martin Böschen, president of BIR’s Textile Division, warned that tighter regulations on textile exports could harm the European market, potentially allowing other countries, like China, to dominate African markets with less-regulated, lower-quality textiles.
Mariska Boer, president of EuRIC Textiles, echoed concerns about the European market’s competitiveness, citing declining clothing quality due to the rise of ultra-fast fashion. She called for financial incentives to support European companies contributing to a sustainable and circular textile economy, stressing the need to restrict the import of “throwaway” fashion into the EU.
