Regarding Kenya Wiley's May 24th op-ed, “Clothing donations add to Africa's problems”:
Kenya Wiley argued that when Washington Post readers donate their used clothes, the items “get dumped in Africa and end up in landfills,” damaging the environment and local economies. Having been in the second-hand clothing business in Kenya for decades, we felt that Wiley's portrayal of our business was inaccurate and a bit patronizing to us businesspeople.
Our research shows that only 2% of second-hand clothes imported into Kenya can be considered waste as they cannot be reused or sold. Mitumba (second-hand clothes) traders are serious businessmen and entrepreneurs, not fools who import waste from the northern hemisphere and dump it in their own backyards. Even if Kenya is facing a crisis in waste collection and disposal, second-hand textiles are far from the root cause of the problem. A ban on imported second-hand clothes will only result in a flood of cheap, low-quality, short-life clothing into African countries.
Second, a ban on second-hand clothing imports threatens to devastate the economies of many African countries and undermine our quality of life. The second-hand clothing trade generates millions of jobs for skilled and unskilled people in Africa. Independent estimates suggest that every tonne of second-hand clothing imported supports 6.5 jobs in some regions. And these imports provide access to good quality, affordable clothing to tens of millions of people in Africa and the Global South.
The second-hand clothing trade has many positive environmental impacts, including reducing carbon emissions and saving water consumption in textile production. For decades, we have been leading the way in creating a circular economy. Let's not undermine it by banning or restricting the import of second-hand clothing.
I suggest that the right solution lies in increasing investment in African infrastructure for reusing used clothing (a more sustainable option than recycling), rather than destroying a vibrant source of green jobs for our people.
Theresia Wairimu Njenga, Nairobi
The author is the President of the Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya.
While I think Kenya Wiley shed light on an important issue, her comments are overly generalized and could harm people who rely on donations for jobs, affordable clothing, and social services. She writes: “If you donate clothes to a local charity or throw a dirty shirt in a recycling bin, there's a good chance that discarded item will end up in Africa, ending up in landfills and waterways, where it will eventually break down into microplastics.”
At Goodwill, 100% of the proceeds from sales of donated items are donated back to local communities to help those in need with basic humanitarian services like career counseling, skills training and job hunting assistance. Last year, these donated items helped 1.7 million people in need. Goodwill also extended the useful life of more than 4.3 billion pounds of donated items last year.
Each Goodwill organization sells unsold goods to aftermarket buyers who then grade the material for resale, recycling, downcycling or export, depending on the buyer's needs. It is true that some unwearable textile products create an environmental burden, often in the global south. This should concern us all.
Wylie is right when he points to a robust recycling infrastructure as an essential part of the solution: Goodwill is working with multiple partners across the textile ecosystem to advance traceable, circular and scalable textile solutions. Global textile waste is a multi-stakeholder issue that requires brands, retailers, policymakers and technology innovators to work together to close the textile loop and protect the enormous economic and social value that resale goods create.
The author is president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International.
As a board member of the Santa Clarita, California chapter of the national nonprofit Assistance League, I was struck by Kenya Wiley's editorial. Proceeds from our thrift store help provide clothing, shoes, glasses, and books to elementary schools. In addition, we provide scholarships, clothing, and food to college students who age out of the foster care system. We also support other local nonprofits. Our members support the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center. We provide entertainment, snacks, adult diapers, and energy drinks. The types of programs vary depending on what the local chapter can provide and what is needed. If a donation is not a good fit for us, we send it to another recycling nonprofit or rag dealer. Nothing goes to waste. We believe our items will have a long life and bring hope, education, and relief to others. Give the other side of this story a chance.
Sue Fisher, Santa Clarita, California
The economics of supply and demand do not stop at borders, and it is arrogant and ignorant to dismiss as waste what are essential and valuable goods for people in low-income countries. And despite the way Kenya Wiley writes her op-ed, it is not just the citizens of African countries who take part in the global trade in second-hand clothing.
U.S. consumers who donate their unused clothing should know that the clothes may end up being imported into our closest neighbors in Central America, where this vibrant industry is expected to create more than 3 million jobs by 2040 and support these economies with $196.4 million in tax revenue, according to a 2023 report from my company, global clothing reseller Gerson & Shaw.
Instead of spreading inaccurate information about the global second-hand trade as a prime example of the circular economy, we should focus on the real culprits of overflowing mountains of waste and environmental degradation: the fast fashion giants who force us to buy quickly disposable clothes, produced in inhumane working conditions, and in some cases by slave labour, at extremely low prices.
The author is CEO of Gerson & Shaw.
Kenya Wiley paints a dire picture of textile waste, noting that discarded clothing in Western countries often ends up in landfills, contributing to environmental and social problems. But she overlooks more recent data on the impact of textile waste in African countries, including a new study from Ghana.
A recent report by the Ghana Secondhand Clothing Dealers Association challenges the prevailing view on textile waste in African countries, suggesting that less than 5% of secondhand clothing imported into Ghana can be considered waste.
One approach is represented by the work of the nearly 200 companies that make up the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association. Our members, spread across the globe, are part of a growing industry committed to the reuse and recycling of textiles and related secondary materials.
We can't do this alone. We should all work to establish a strong recycling infrastructure and support efforts that foster environmental stewardship and economic development. Campaigns around paper and plastic recycling have been very effective. Governments should undertake similar legislative efforts to support the textile recycling industry.
We must recognise that to achieve our circular economy goals, we need to work together as an international community.
The author is president of the Secondary Raw Materials and Recycled Textiles Association.
