The term ‘Waste Colonialism’ was coined in 1989, referring to the practice of countries in the Global North dumping their waste and polluting the lands of former colonies. Today, textile waste from North America and Europe are burdening countries in the Global South, who are unjustly paying the price for overproduction and overconsumption.

“The same routes that the Global North use to export coffee and tea are being used today to bring cheap clothing to western countries, only to be sent back eventually to the Global South. While formerly colonised countries may be independent today, they are still not free of colonial powers.” - Carbon Literacy Project

This is most evident in countries like Ghana, a former British colony, which has become a top importer of secondhand garments. The Kantamanto Market in Accra is one of the country’s largest secondhand markets, receiving 15 million garments every week, of which 40% is waste. As a result, unused garments decay in overburdened landfills, poisoning their air and soil, while toxins & chemicals seeping from textile waste contaminate their water.

According to Global Fashion Agenda, 92 million tonnes of textile waste are produced each year, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothing being incinerated or sent to a landfill every second. [Source: United Nations Environment Program]

The fact is, we have produced enough stuff on our planet to last us several lifetimes. Overproduction by fast fashion brands and overconsumption by consumers perpetuate textile waste colonialism, but we can each make an effort to slow it down by putting secondhand first.

Before heading to buy something new, let’s normalize buying secondhand, buying vintage, swapping items with loved ones, and rewearing + reusing what we already have.