Gikomba Market in Nairobi is Kenya’s hub for second hand garments.
It is all the time heaving with folks looking out for a cut price, Western model names that are recycled and offered at a fraction of their authentic value and merchants seem to have an infinite quantity of sacks filled with second hand garments.
This market is a supply of commerce, feeding into the native economic system and it allows folks like John Mwangi to earn an revenue.
“This commerce is what allows me to maintain my day by day wants. I don’t have expertise in some other commerce. If it stops I’d be stranded with nowhere to go,” says Mwangi.
Recycling trend helps to chop down the mountains of waste the world produces every year, however the sheer quantity of poor high quality second hand textiles arriving right here is creating one other waste drawback, in accordance some teams.
What the merchants in Gikomba Market cannot promote will get burned or dumped onto waste heaps like this one.
Right here, the poorest like Damaris Wanjiru hope to dress their households and maybe make a little bit cash to feed their youngsters.
The mom of 4 says: “We often seek for second hand garments within the garbage after which we type them out. We then choose those which might be of the highest quality after which we wash them. We take among the garments to our youngsters and we additionally put on some. We even have individuals who come to purchase the garments from us. We become profitable from our gross sales and put on the leftovers.”
The United Nations Setting Programme (UNEP) has been crucial of the textile business for the influence its manufacturing has on the setting.
It says the garments business is answerable for eight % of world greenhouse fuel emissions which contribute to local weather change, whereas on the identical time $460 billion value of usable garments are thrown away every year.
Janet Chemitei from the environmental group Greenpeace argues wealthier international locations are utilizing international locations like Kenya as waste disposal grounds for garbage they can not recycle themselves.
She says: “The materials that they use to supply these garments are artificial fibers and this artificial fibers are produced from fossil fuels which can also be harming the setting in the long term and likewise the individuals who make these garments and us who put on them so we actually need manufacturers to be accountable and to cease producing quick trend.”
In a report referred to as”Poisoned Presents”, Greenpeace argues the second hand garments are little greater than textile waste and the imports threaten regionally made merchandise and textile industries.
It says 30 to 40 % of the imports, which is about 74,000 tonnes, finally ends up being dumped.
In keeping with Greenpeace it has been troublesome for sub-Saharan international locations to ban second hand garments from the US as a result of they’ve struck preferential commerce offers with America in what was referred to as the African Progress and Alternatives Act.
In keeping with a report posted by the Council on Overseas Relations assume tank, the deal has labored in America’s favour as a result of the African nations import extra from the US than they export.
Organisations like UNEP are encouraging the expansion of latest industries which may create new makes use of for textile waste in Kenya.
One among them is Africa Acquire Textiles, collects used textiles for recycling.
The Nairobi-based organisation Kenya alone imports greater than 200 million kilograms of used textiles every year.
The corporate’s co-founder Alex Musembi agrees with Greenpeace’s findings: “In keeping with the report that I’ve learn, 20 to 30 % of the waste that comes from the International North is pure trash so that’s the drawback that we’re speaking about. The textile waste, waste drawback.”
Africa Acquire Textiles upcycles textile waste into rugs, pencil baggage and different merchandise which it exports to Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.
The beginning-up has an revenue of fifty,000 euros yearly and 16 full time staff.
The corporate has established 35 drop off factors the place folks can depart garments they now not have a use for, however it solely collects cotton.
Musembi argues the world ought to demand extra accountability from international trend manufacturers.
“I’m speaking about Nike, the like of Adidas and Tommy Hilfiger, the likes of H&M, the likes of Shein and many others, they need to come up and arrange what we name the EPR fund, that’s the Prolonged Producer Duty, and for each Euro they promote by way of profitability, it needs to be channeled again to corporations like Africa Acquire Textiles who’re making an attempt to resolve their mess right here within the nation,” says Musembi.
However even with additional help, there’s extra textile waste in rivers like this than Africa Acquire Textiles can ever hope to recycle
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