Kenya and other African nations are being overwhelmed by imported textile waste sent from industrialized nations like the United Kingdom, Canada, China, and the United States.
What's happening?
According to Mongabay, the Changing Markets Foundation completed an investigation that revealed that industrialized nations sent over 900 million pieces of used clothing to Kenya in 2021. Over half of these articles of clothing were waste, meaning they ended up in Kenyan landfills, and at least a third of this textile waste contained plastic-based fibers.
As a result, landfills in Kenya are overflowing, sometimes right into the Nairobi River, which the local population utilizes for drinking water and agriculture. The same is true for landfills in other African nations, such as Ghana.
The explosion of textile waste is all thanks to the fast- and ultra-fast-fashion industries, which churn out hundreds to thousands of new designs daily, with no end in sight.
As Mongabay reported, University of Plymouth marine scientist Imogen Napper explained, "We have to address how we manage this waste […] when it's being exposed to the sunlight, that plastic, these fibers [degrade into microplastics] quicker. It could go in the river, then the ocean. It could go into the air, including the air that we're breathing."
Why is fast fashion concerning?
Fast fashion may provide a wide variety of styles on the cheap, but the effects of this industry are significant.
Clothing made by the industry is inexpensive because these companies purposely design it to deteriorate rapidly. This rapid decline compels consumers to continually buy new clothing, resulting in increased spending over time.
Clothing falling apart forces consumers to toss it out, resulting in approximately 92 million tons of textile waste landing in landfills each year. The situation in Africa is the result of this waste, which overcrowds landfills and increases the amount of microplastics, PFAS, and other chemicals leaching into the water, air, and soil.
What's being done about fast fashion textile waste?
In 2024, the French government introduced a bill aimed at reducing the impact of fast fashion textile waste. The bill passed in June.
It aims to reduce textile waste by prohibiting ultra-fast fashion from advertising online, as well as educating the public by requiring the textile industry to apply an environmental impact rating to its garments.
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While a step forward, more must be done to decrease the amount of fast fashion purchased and thrown away each year. Individuals can help by donating used clothing to thrift stores instead of discarding it, and by opting for secondhand clothing over poorly made new items.
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