Disposed of clothing from North America and Europe routinely ends up in the Global South, most commonly in Ghana, India and Chile. Trash from the Global North making its way into our backyards isn’t just a sign of neo-imperialism, but also telling of our mindless consumption patterns. If these shocking pictures don’t make you reconsider your buying decisions, what will!
Odaw River, Ghana
These disturbing pictures were captured by Muntaka Chasant, in Accra, capital city of Ghana. Accra is home to Kantamanto, one of the largest second-hand clothing markets in the world. These garments, known locally as ‘Obroni W’awu’, translated as ‘dead white man’s clothes’, are thought to have been imported from the United States and the UK, as well as many other wealthy nations.
Atacama Desert, Chile
Atacama, the driest desert in the world, is increasingly suffering from pollution caused by fashion. Chile has a well-established second-hand clothing trade with more than 59,000 tons of unwanted clothing arriving each year from North America and many other wealthy European nations.
Panipat, India
Known as the world’s ‘cast off capital’, Panipat is home to recycling industries that specialize in a cloth known as ‘shoddy’, which is made from low-quality yarn recycled from woolen garments. For more than 20 years, it has been a dumping ground for clothes discarded by the population of countries like UK & USA and other European countries, like Italy and France.
The Kpone landfill, Ghana, Africa
Kantamanto, located in Accra, Ghana’s capital, is one of the largest second hand markets in all of West Africa. The estimate is almost half of our clothing that is sent to Accra goes to the Kpone landfill. UK and US are the leading exporters, with US exporting more than a billion pounds of used clothing every year.
