How deceptive narratives about textile waste fuel ultra-fast fashion

Since 2021, much of the debate around the environmental impact of the global textile industry has been dominated by reports alleging that Europe is dumping its clothing waste in African countries. However, these reports do not hold up to factual review. The evidence instead points to a narrative that has misled journalists, politicians, environmental activists, and the public alike. But how could such a widespread misperception take root?

The year 2021 plays a pivotal role in this story.That was the year when claims began to circulate stating that 40% or more of Europe’s second-hand clothing exports to African countries consisted of unsellable garments, considered waste upon arrival. We've all seen the widely circulated images of rivers, beaches, and dumpsites in Ghana—images that contributed to the country being labelled “the dumping ground for Europe’s unwanted clothes”. In the second-hand industry, however, these claims have been met with considerable scepticism and in Ghana they have even taken to the streets to protest against these “unsubstantiated claims”.

Watch clip from protests in Ghana here

Mountains of textile waste in Ghana is mostly plastic.

We searched for the mountains of textile waste

In our previous article we decided to go to Ghana and look for the “mountains of textile waste”. But we couldn’t find them. There is undoubtedly an overwhelming amount of waste, but it is mostly plastic. Textile waste is only a few percent of the total waste stream in Ghana, and it does not come from second-hand imports.

You can read the full story here. 

So the next question is of course: how could this happen?

A piece of research gains traction

It's hard to find substantial references to exported textile waste to Africa prior to 2021. Something clearly shifted that year. In fact, two significant developments occurred in the months between autumn 2021 and summer of 2022 that seem essential in the formation of this narrative.

Late 2021 the OR Foundation emerged—a US- and Ghana based non-profit organisation, advocating for environmental justice, ecological prosperity, and a new model of fashion beyond consumerism. They published a research into textile waste in Ghana. They called it a  “multimedia presentation”, and it’s emotional appeal, photos and videos seemed to show a rather difficult situation with textile waste emerging from second-hand import. The presentation gained rapid traction—picked up by major media outlets, widely shared on social media, and even discussed within EU policy circles.

Journalists and politicians forwarding unsupported claims

As media coverage and the OR Foundation’s own public relations began reaching policymakers and analysts within the European Union, the waste narrative and the 40% figure started to emerge in reports and presentations from EU. This has probably accelerated the work with policies to restrict the export of second-hand clothing from the EU to non-EU countries. In several reports, EU officials directly cite the 40% figure as justification for proposing stricter regulations—some even advocating for second-hand clothing to be classified as waste at the point of export.

This is one of these reports, from the European Environment Agency.

Even if the OR Foundations research often is referred to in the media as a study or a report, it is important to note that none of their official publications detail their methodology.

However, it has been mentioned that it is based on interviews with a number of second-hand clothing traders in Ghana. 

Funding announced

The second key development occurred a couple of months after OR Foundations presentation in 2021, and sheds further light on this evolving narrative: the disclosure of the foundation’s funding sources.

In 2022, it was announced that Shein—a multinational Chinese ultra-fast-fashion giant— entered a "multi-year agreement between The Or Foundation and Shein to create an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Fund. In a global first, Shein will commit $50 Million to the fund over five years".

This is a corporation that, to most, likely appears as one of the greatest threats to what the OR Foundation claims to be fighting against. Shein has frequently been singled out in environmental debates as one of the worst offenders in the global fashion industry. Ultra-fast-fashion refers to extremely low-cost garments, produced rapidly on-demand and designed for short-term use. These clothes are often worn only a few times before being discarded. Crucially, they are largely made from synthetic, plastic-based materials—contributing significantly to environmental degradation.

Like other Asia-based ultra-fast-fashion companies, Shein has seen explosive global growth in recent years. Yet one market remains relatively underdeveloped for the brand: Africa.

In many African countries that import second-hand clothing, these goods dominate the local fashion market. Studies show that up to 90% of the population purchase and wear second-hand garments to some extent. This might be perceived to represent a significant obstacle to the expansion of ultra-fast-fashion companies on a continent with 1.5 billion potential customers.

Summary

• There is no scientific evidence or peer-reviewed study to support the claim that 40% of second-hand clothing imported into African countries consists of unsalable items that are immediately dumped in landfills.

  
  

• On the contrary, several academic studies suggest that a more realistic figure is below 5%. These studies have been conducted in major second-hand import markets such as Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda.Textile waste levels in African nations are not disproportionately high compared to other continents, and the waste is certainly not primarily coming from second-hand imports.

  
  

• Despite this, both media reporting and the documents underpinning EU policy decisions frequently reference the same “study” — the research presented by the OR Foundation in 2021.

  
  

• Academic research suggesting significantly lower figures is entirely absent from the EU’s official policy reports. You can read two of them below.

  
  

• The OR Foundation has never concealed its financial support from Shein, the Chinese ultra-fast-fashion giant. The foundation maintains that both it and Shein are sincere in their efforts to reduce the fashion industry’s environmental harm. OR Foundation representatives have also verbally stated that they remain critical of Shein’s environmental practices.

  
  

• However, the authors of this article have found no documented criticism of Shein from the organisation in any public material. 

Written by Thomas Lundkvist

Read more: The elusive truth behind the second-hand export debate - Part 1

Read more: GUCDA Report refute claims of textile waste in Ghana

About Reuse News Reuse News is a news platform covering developments in reuse, recycling and environmental issues related to the textile industry. Our work adheres to professional journalistic and editorial standards. Our goal is to support better-informed journalists, influencers, researchers and policymakers in the textile sector.

We are funded by organisations active in clothing collection, second-hand trade and international development work, and the initiative was born out of a growing need to counter misinformation in this field.