Assemblyman for Odododiodoo Constituency Warns of Textile Waste Crisis in Ghana

Accra: Assemblyman for the Odododiodoo Constituency, Festus Nii Ayi Hayford, has raised concerns that local authorities are struggling to manage Ghana's escalating used clothing waste crisis without the necessary infrastructure. Speaking at the 'Landfills 2 Landmarks' summit webinar, Hayford emphasized that local government assemblies are 'at the receiving end' of a disjointed waste chain fueled by the country's booming second-hand clothing trade. According to Ghana Web, the summit focused on what happens to textile waste after it leaves major markets like the Kantamanto Market and enters collection systems, drainage networks, landfill sites, and public spaces. Hayford explained that local assemblies depend on private waste management companies to transport waste to landfills, but Ghana lacks facilities to process the large amounts of textile waste produced. Hayford highlighted the issue of unsold stock from Kantamanto being redistributed to secondary markets, where it becomes untraceable. He noted that whi le local governments can plan around known waste volumes from Kantamanto, once the stock disperses, the disposal pathway becomes fragmented. The summit's discussions aimed to understand what happens to unsold second-hand clothing that cannot be resold. Moderators questioned the final destination of waste from unsellable clothing and who covers the financial cost of its disposal. Ama Ofori Antwi, Executive Secretary of the Environmental Services Providers Association (ESPA), described Ghana's disposal system as inadequate, noting that unsellable textile waste often ends up in landfills, drains, or is openly burnt. She pointed out that Ghana's waste management system was primarily designed for municipal waste and is only about 60 percent efficient. Ofori Antwi identified the Korle Lagoon as a significant environmental pressure point due to its proximity to Kantamanto. Textile waste, combined with plastics, clogs drainage systems, causing flooding and environmental degradation in Accra. She mentioned that the Korle Lagoon restoration project is partly a response to these pressures. Betty Brown Nyadu, General Manager of Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP), confirmed that some textile waste reaches formal recycling facilities. She reported that textiles made up an average of 22 percent of incoming waste over seven years. Despite this, Ghana still lacks national infrastructure to handle the volume of textile waste from imported used clothing. Ofori Antwi questioned if revenues from used clothing imports are reinvested in waste management. She suggested establishing textile-specific sorting facilities across municipalities, similar to systems developed for plastics management. Lavinia Fernandes disputed claims that 40 percent of imported used clothing becomes waste in Ghana, stating the figure originated from a single interview with a trader. The Chairman of the Used Clothing Dealers Association also challenged this estimate, arguing that importers would not invest in stock if nearly half were destined for landfill.