An investigation conducted by Unearthed and Greenpeace Africa claims clothes discarded by UK consumers and shipped to Ghana were found in conservation areas an hour away from the country’s capital, Accra.

The clothing had labels from UK fashion brands Next, George at Asda, Marks & Spencer, Zara, H&M, and Primark.

H&M’s Head of Public Affairs & Sustainability UK & Region North Europe, Marcus Hartmann tells Just Style: “We firmly believe clothes should never end up in nature and we are humble to the fact that our industry is still facing challenges such as a lack of end-of-life solutions and fully scaled recycling solutions for discarded textiles.

“Together with partners who are experts in the reuse and recycling of textiles, we are determined to support the development of a robust recycling industry for product and textile waste globally. We collaborate with producers and recyclers to scale technology and infrastructure to collect, sort, recycle, and circulate materials for the industry. We have invested in and cofounded companies such as Looper Textile Co. and Syre.”

UK fashion brands advocate for better EPR legislation

Hartmann points out that H&M is “advocating for better legislation on waste and producer responsibility for textiles, including in the UK” where it is working closely with partners and the government to campaign for a defined EPR policy.

He adds: “We all need to ensure that products that can be reused and only sent to countries where there is an actual demand. We believe that this is essential to drive systematic transformation across the entire industry. Clearer rules for everyone in the industry will support our progress in addressing the problems present today.

“While this is an industry-wide challenge, we acknowledge our role in contributing to the problem, notably when our products reach markets with inadequate or no waste management or recycling infrastructures.  We will continue to strengthen our strategy and actions for end-of-life textiles and interact with relevant stakeholders.”

A Primark spokesperson tells Just Style: “We never want to see Primark clothes ending up where they shouldn’t. We don’t authorise any of the clothing collected through our customer Textile Takeback scheme or any of our unsold stock to be sent to Ghana or anywhere else in Africa.”

Primark explains that its Primark Cares strategy is committed to tackling fashion waste across its entire business. Broader considerations, such as circularity, durability and how clothes are cared for over their lifespan, are also critical to tackling textile waste.

It also recognises its responsibility as a global retailer to educate its customers on how to love clothes for longer, through initiatives like its repair workshop programme.

The Primark spokesperson continues: “We know that no single company can solve the issue of textile waste alone. Real progress will only come if the industry comes together. We’re committed to playing our part in these conversations and contributing to collective action that drives lasting change.

An M&S spokesperson tells Just Style it does not send excess clothing to any other country or landfill.

The spokesperson explains: “We take our responsibility to provide end of life options for our clothes seriously and offer our customers options to give their clothes another life with our recently launched repair service by SOJO, and with our in-store take back recycling schemes with partners such as Oxfam for clothing and Handle for beauty products, as part of our Plan A to reduce our impact on the planet.”

None of the other brands had responded to Just Style’s request for comment at the time of going to press, however most of the brands did acknowledge to the investigators the industry faces challenges around processing textile waste.

George at Asda explained it runs a “take-back” scheme to help address the issue.

While, H&M, Zara, and George told the investigators they would support an extended producer responsibility framework to hold labels accountable for their products’ end-of-life impact. 

Next did not respond to the investigator’s request for comment.

Ghana is world’s largest used clothing importer

The report highlights that Ghana is the “world’s largest importer of used clothing” and has been given the title of the global “fast fashion graveyard”.

It explains that 15m items of discarded garments arrive each week with UN trade data suggesting the UK sent more fashion waste to Ghana last year (57,000 tonnes) than to any other country except the UAE, which is a hub for re-export.

But, it continues: “Local officials estimate about 40% of each bale is unusable – torn, stained, or unsuitable for the climate”.

Unearthed says its investigation found new dump sites are “mushrooming beyond urban areas,” including “pristine conservation areas that are critical for wildlife and local communities who rely on the wetlands as a source of food and income”.

Greenpeace Africa carried out tests using infrared scanning, which suggest most of clothes found in Accra’s textile dumps are made from synthetic fibres.

It highlights these are produced from petroleum and can take centuries to break down, releasing microplastics and chemicals as they decompose.

By Just Style