Aiming to combat waste colonialism, I embark on a 450km pool journey

In the heart of Accra, Ghana, lies Kantamanto Market, the world's largest secondhand clothing market. Despite its significance, the market is plagued by the consequences of fast fashion overproduction, with an alarming 40% of the average bale of clothing leaving Kantamanto as waste.

This waste dominates formal dumpsites in Accra and contributes to the pollution of the city's waterways, including the Korle Lagoon, a body of water adjacent to Kantamanto. The microfiber count in the Korle Lagoon is so high that it takes The Or Foundation team up to three hours to count the content of one image.

Synthetic microfibers, originating from either atmospheric deposition or local human activities such as wearing, washing, and drying clothes, are a major contributor to this pollution. The Agbetsi Living Water research and environmental expedition, journeying along the Volta River for four weeks starting from March to April 2023, aims to map and understand the abundance and potential source of synthetic microfibers in the Volta River.

The Agbetsi expedition is taking daily water and air samples to measure the level of textile pollution along the Volta River. The goal of the expedition is to stop waste colonialism and its disastrous impact on the environment and people in Ghana.

The Or Foundation, in collaboration with their #StopWasteColonialism campaign, has gained insight that addressing the environmental pollution caused by textile overproduction in Ghana requires recognizing and combating the colonialist structures inherent in the global textile waste trade. This understanding highlights the need to challenge the dumping of unsold fast fashion clothing in Ghana to effectively reduce pollution and promote sustainable local textile economies.

The average retailer in Kantamanto makes little profit due to costs associated with repair, washing, upcycling, and sanitation fees. In 2020, $182 million was paid to exporters in the Global North for secondhand clothing, yet The Or Foundation estimates that the Kantamanto community spends $325 million on bales of secondhand clothing every year.

One of the ways to combat this issue is through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a policy that creates a cost for overproduction and generates funds to support communities most affected by it. The #StopWasteColonialism campaign advocates for companies to take responsibility for overproduction through an EPR policy.

Amidst these challenges, there is a beacon of hope. Yvette Tetteh, a determined swimmer, is preparing to swim 450km down the Volta River in Ghana to draw attention to the issue of synthetic microfibers in the river. Her swim, dubbed the Agbetsi Living Water Swim, is also about demonstrating a life-affirming relationship to our environment.

The Agbetsi expedition and Yvette's swim are powerful reminders of the urgent need to address the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion overproduction and waste. By raising awareness, advocating for change, and supporting sustainable practices, we can work towards a future where our textile industry is not a source of pollution but a catalyst for positive change.