A couple of days ago, I watched an ABC documentary, entitled “The Environmental Disaster that is Fueled by Used Clothes and Fast Fashion”, that examined the role of used clothing, donated from places like the US, Europe, and Australia, in Ghana. The film shed light on some common misconceptions about these clothing donations and also highlighted the complexities of both their economic and environmental impact.
One misconception the film refuted was that these donations will always benefit whoever receives them. I think many of us from the United States or Europe or Australia who donate clothes assume that it’s a selfless and thoughtful act: your clothes going to help someone in need. However, while these intentions may be pure, the donations’ impact on the Ghanaian economy is quite complex. On one hand, these donations have created a thriving second hand clothing industry in Accra, generating a great deal of jobs. However, on the other hand, much of the work in this industry is dangerous and low paying. In addition, it has made traditional Ghanaian textiles and clothing less and less affordable. While these intricacies make it difficult to distinguish the clothing donations in a wholly positive or negative light, they certainly help to convey a fuller understanding of the role of these clothing donations in Ghana’s economy.
Aside from this role Ghana’s economy, these clothing donations also impact Ghana from an environmental point of view. According to the film, close to 40 % of all clothing arriving in Accra on any given day is considered to be of no value and is discarded at textile dumps nearby. It is this overflow of valueless clothing that has put Accra in the midst of a waste crisis. Smoke pollutes the air from clothing that is burned in order to get rid of it, long chains of abandoned textiles show up along the coast in the ocean, and huge piles of clothing continue to build up all over the city. This harmful impact on the environment in Ghana highlights the misconception that any and all clothing donated is useful.
Overall, this documentary gave me a better and fuller understanding of the impact of clothing donations in Ghana. It offered an in depth and accurate portrayal of where our donated clothing actually ends up, and how useful is actually is to those who receive it. It's incredibly important to be aware of whether or not the likely good intention of donating clothes actually supports and benefits the people and environment the clothes end up in. From this documentary, it seems that determining whether or not the donations, overall, benefit the Ghanaian economy is somewhat tricky to say. However, from an environmental perspective, it is clear that the excess of donated clothing harms the Ghanaian environment and as a result, the Ghanaian people.
Documentary link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB3kuuBPVys
Photo source: https://deadwhitemansclothes.org
Anna, welcome home. We hope you are settling in well to your new (old) school as you transition from a very cosmopolitan experience. What a refreshing topic and wonderful to look specifically at Ghana. The two main points are very important in that we don't usually see what is the impact of charitable efforts. The donation of clothing certainly does damage the local economy (namely less people "there" buy (even need) clothing if clothing is supplied from abroad of ridiculously low rates. I was stunned by the 40% of clothes that end up being burned ... and that leads to environmental concerns. Sounds very timely to watch this video (in terms of needing to blog AND also hearing one perspective on this issue). Did you look up/read more about this topic in other sources? Super interesting topic!
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