Fast fashion is one of the most appealing methods of shopping in recent years. The unbelievably low prices and instant gratification can intrigue any shopper on a budget. We wear these pieces for a night out, fancy dinners, or parties and inevitably donate them to empty our closets to purchase more. Though what people don't know is where these donated clothes actually end up.
The average American wears each item about seven times before they decide to donate it. Many Americans donate their used clothing to charities when they are finished with it, assuming that it will be reused. Due to the trend of valuing quantity over quality, fast fashion is unable to be resold, and millions of garments are put into bales to be shipped abroad every year.
One place in particular that receives these clothes is Ghana. With a population of 30 million, they receive around 15 million used clothing items every week! Samuel Oteng, a fashion designer, says, "The whole fast fashion model is built around building cheap clothing, and the U.S. is the biggest culprit, exporting more secondhand clothing than any other country on earth." Ghanaians attempt to upcycle these clothes, but Oteng says that it is becoming increasingly difficult due to the poor quality of fast fashion. "The waste does not end up in America. Ultimately it ends up here in Kantamanto [Ghana]."
The upcycling work of traders at Kantamanto is not enough to reduce the excess amount of clothing created by America's addiction to fast fashion. It is estimated that 40 percent of all the clothing bales sent to Ghana end up in landfills. Some unsold clothing washes out to beaches when it rains, creating massive tangled webs called "tentacles'' in the sand.
The director of waste management for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Solomon Noi, delivered a message to the U.S.: "Deal with it." He continues, "Do not hide under the guise of donations of secondhand clothing, and then you ship them over to us just to cause problems to us."
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