Expert calls out massive industry's impact across the globe: 'Most brands don't yet see it as their responsibility'

A fashion writer focused on sustainability is calling out fast fashion's detrimental impact on Ghana in a new piece for the Guardian. Millions of pieces of discarded items arrive in the African country every week, polluting beach shores and threatening native turtles.  

What's happening?

As fashion writer Fleur Britten explains for the news outlet, the nonprofit Or Foundation estimates that Ghana imports around 15 million garments every week. Approximately 40% of those items can't be reused and end up as informally dumped trash because the country lacks the infrastructure to deal with it.

The Or Foundation has reached out to major fashion brands to support Ghana through their "extended producer responsibility," or EPR, programs. (For its part, Shein donated $15 million to Or two years ago as part of its EPR, per the report, though the company has made headlines in 2024 following allegations of human rights abuses and greenwashing.)

However, Or co-founder Liz Ricketts suggested that the nonprofit's appeals didn't make headway, telling the Guardian that "most brands don't yet see it as their responsibility." 

"So, it's about helping them recognize how this applies to their circularity goals," Ricketts added. 

Why is this important?

According to a new report from Greenpeace, "Fast fashion is at the root of an environmental and public health disaster that is unfolding in Accra," Ghana's capital city situated on the Atlantic Ocean. It found that most of the discarded clothes contained synthetic materials made with dirty energy, which leach hazardous chemicals into the water and soil as they slowly break down. 

Accra head of waste management Solomon Noi told the Guardian that the textile pollution is also overrunning the breeding grounds of native turtle species, putting them at risk of extinction. 

Moreover, the garment waste is destroying the crucial fishing grounds, impacting the food supply chain and livelihoods of fishers. Most use motorized canoes that can only travel around 3.5 miles from the shoreline. 

"Unfortunately, that is where the textile waste is. The fishermen harvest a lot of plastics and polyesters," Noi explained to the Guardian, adding that an extreme weather event like a tsunami or typhoon could carry the trash elsewhere, making it a global problem. 

What's being done about this?

Several organizations issued statements to the Guardian affirming the industry's commitment to addressing the growing problem of textile waste, including U.K. retailer Marks & Spencer and the British Retail Consortium.

However, as the report notes, Greenpeace estimates that garment manufacturing will continue to increase to 200 billion annually by 2030.  

"Everybody has plans to grow," Ricketts said, urging consumers to rethink their relationship with fast fashion and turn to secondhand shopping and upcycling when possible. ThredUp and Poshmark are just a couple of the secondhand sellers that can help you stay stylish while saving hundreds of dollars per year.    

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