Second-hand sector not to blame for textile waste crisis
- Sven Pedersen
- Oct 21
- 3 min read
"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."
Sven Pedersen, Editor in Chief for Reuse News comments about the open letter to UNEP.
United Nations Environmental Programme's (UNEP) push for clearer definitions of textile waste is welcome -precise terminology benefits all stakeholders. But such efforts must be grounded in evidence. UNEP’s approach suggests second-hand clothing is a key source of textile waste, yet available evidence and operational realities point to more nuanced practices and systems.
I have worked in second-hand clothing for over 26 years, the last 10 in Kenya. Here, the trade is a lifeline - supporting 2 million incomes and 24 million livelihoods. For many, it is the only way to access decent clothing with dignity. Even in low-income areas, people are well-dressed and take pride in their appearance.
Despite claims that textile waste is choking Nairobi’s streets and landfills, that is not what I have seen. After more than ten years here - and I have also visited the Dandora landfill - it is clear that textile waste is minimal and makes up only a small part of the overall waste stream.
In Kenya, clothes are reused, handed down, and worn for years. People buy far less than in high-consumption economies, where fashion trends drive constant turnover. In the Global North, perfectly good clothes are routinely discarded - not out of need, but because people can afford to replace them. Much of this waste is incinerated, making it invisible while contributing significantly to CO₂ emissions - about 10% of global footprint.
Blaming second-hand clothing for textile pollution is misleading. This trade keeps garments in use, reduces demand for new production, and supports millions of livelihoods.
Extensive research
Extensive studies from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ghana show textile waste in second-hand imports is minimal - typically 2% to 5% - mostly due to human error in manual sorting. The claim that this sector exports waste is not supported by data, and it defies logic.
It is fast fashion - driven by overproduction and throwaway culture - that fuels the textile waste crisis. Yet blame is unfairly shifted onto a sector that actively reduces waste.
Here is why it is inaccurate to claim that the second-hand clothing trade exports textile waste:
Textile waste is not traded internationally - it would lead to financial losses for exporters, importers, and local traders. The second-hand clothes sector systematically avoids it.
Exporting textile waste to the Global South makes no economic sense. Incineration in Europe costs €0.05–€0.07/kg, while shipping to Kenya is more than €1/kg.
Garments are carefully sorted before export to meet import standards. The sector has decades of experience tailoring supply to diverse global markets through close collaboration with local traders.
Shipments are demand-driven, initiated and prepaid by importers. These clothes are not ‘dumped’ – they are valued commodities actively sought by traders and consumers in the Global South because of good quality.
False claims about of a high percentage of waste in second-hand clothing are harmful and it is extremely important that research is grounded in thorough evidence. Such claims threaten a sector that provides millions of livelihoods and access to affordable, dignified clothing.
Second-hand sector not to blame for textile waste crisis
The sector is a working circular economy - not a waste stream. It keeps garments in use, reduces landfill and incineration, and strengthens economic resilience.
Restricting it undermines a proven solution.
These realities are precisely why I support the open letter to UNEP, which calls for greater transparency and methodological rigour in research on distinguishing used textiles from textile waste.
Sven Pedersen
Editor in Chief
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