Does second-hand clothing really undermine local textile industries in African countries such as Ghana and Kenya? It is a claim that has been repeated for decades. But when we look at what the evidence actually says, the picture becomes far more nuanced.

A report from IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute highlights both the promise and the fragility of today’s international textile reuse system. While the study documents a well-organised value chain linking used-clothing collections to thriving second-hand markets, it also underscores that regulatory, logistical and political pressures in Europe risk undermining one of the few proven circular models that actually works.

The suspension follows a petition claiming Kenya signed the deal without properly consulting its East African Community (EAC) partners. The Kenyan government has now moved quickly to contain the fallout after the East African Court of Justice halted implementation of the EU–Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement.

On one hand, EU is taking aim at ultra‑fast‑fashion imports from China, while on the other it is pressing ahead with policies that could significantly restrict exports of second‑hand clothing to African countries. The combined effect threatens to accelerate the dominance of Chinese ultra‑fast‑fashion clothing and raises concerns over unintended environmental and social consequences.

"It is fast fashion - driven by overproduction and throwaway culture - that fuels the textile waste crisis. Yet blame has shifted onto a sector that actively reduces waste - the second-hand sector. The claim that this sector exports waste is not supported by data, and it defies logic."

A coalition of representatives from the global textiles collection, reuse, and recycling sectors — joined by policymakers and academic experts — has issued an open letter to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), raising serious concerns about the integrity, methodology, and practical implications of UNEP’s Circularity and Used Textile Trade Project.

Explore how China’s ultra fast fashion boom may be threatening second-hand clothing markets in Africa, its impact on textile waste & local economies

Is Europe dumping its clothing waste in African countries? The evidence says it's not. Instead the current reporting on textile waste points to a narrative that has misled journalists, politicians, environmental activists, and the public alike. But how could such a widespread misperception take root?

Hundreds of dealers and traders in the second-hand clothing industry in Accra, Ghana entered the streets Thursday to protest against what they call unbalanced and false narratives about the industry. In the crosshairs of the protesters' anger is the OR Foundation, an organization that has for several years claimed that the second-hand industry is exacerbating the waste problems in Ghana. The Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association issued a statement in connection with the eve

"Few industries might be so misunderstood as our industry. This is particularly sad when these misconceptions start to influence politicians and other decision makers" These are the words from Örjan Österdal, CEO of Humana Second Hand Fundraising Projects, one of Europe's largest second-hand clothing enterprises. A non-profit enterprise that´s been a part of the second-hand trading since the nineties.