Regarding Kenya Wiley’s May 24 op-ed, “Clothing donations pile on Africa’s problems”:
Our own research shows that no more than 2 percent of secondhand clothes imported to Kenya can be characterized as waste because they are not in a condition that allows them to be reused or sold. Those who trade mitumba — used clothes — are serious business people and entrepreneurs, not fools who import waste from the Global North only to dump it in our own backyards. And to the extent Kenya has a waste collection and disposal crisis, used textiles are far from the core driver of that problem. Banning imported secondhand clothes would simply result in many cheaper, lower-quality clothes with a shorter lifespan coming into African countries.
Second, a ban on secondhand-clothing imports would risk devastating many African economies and harming our quality of life. The trade creates millions of jobs for skilled and unskilled people in Africa. Independent estimates suggest that each ton of imported secondhand clothes supports 6½ jobs in some regions. And these imports give tens of millions of people across Africa and the Global South access to good quality, affordable clothes.
The secondhand-clothes trade also has many positive effects on the environment, such as reducing carbon dioxide emissions and saving water consumption from textile production. For decades, we have led the way in making the circular economy a reality. Let’s not ruin it by banning or restricting imports of secondhand clothes.
I suggest that the correct solution lies with boosting investment in Africa’s infrastructure for reusing secondhand clothes (which is a more sustainable option than recycling) rather than destroying a vibrant source of green jobs for our people.
Teresiah Wairimu Njenga, Nairobi
The writer is chairperson of the Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya.
While I believe Kenya Wiley gave light to an important issue, her declaration was over-generalized and could harm people who rely on those donations for jobs, affordable clothing and human services. She wrote: “If you’ve donated clothing to a local charity or tossed your stained shirts in a drop-off bin, chances are your discarded items will be dumped in Africa, winding up in landfills, water and eventually breaking down into microplastics.”
At Goodwill, the value of every donation sold stays in communities to support people in need with essential human services such as career counseling, skills training and job placement support. Last year, those donations helped 1.7 million people in need. Goodwill also extended the useful life of over 4.3 billion pounds of donated goods last year.
Each Goodwill organization sells unsold goods to aftermarket buyers, who then grade materials for resale, recycling, downcycling and export, depending on the needs of their buyers. It is true that some unwearable textiles create an environmental burden, often in the Global South. This should concern all of us.
Ms. Wiley is correct in pointing to a robust recycling infrastructure as a necessary part of the solution. Goodwill is working with multiple partners across the textile circularity ecosystem to advance solutions for textiles that are traceable, circular and scalable. Global textile waste is a multi-stakeholder issue and requires brands, retailers, policymakers and technology innovators to work together to close the loop on textile circularity and preserve the enormous economic and social value that resold goods provide.
Steve Preston, McLean
The writer is president and chief executive of Goodwill Industries International.
As a board member of the Santa Clarita, Calif., chapter of the Assistance League, a nationwide nonprofit, I found Kenya Wiley’s op-ed alarming. The money we make in our resale store provides clothing, shoes, eyeglasses and books to elementary schools. In addition, we provide scholarships, clothing and food to college students who have aged out of the foster system. We also support other nonprofits in our community. Our membership supports the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center. We provide entertainment, snacks, adult diapers and nutrient drinks. The type of program depends on what the area chapter is able to provide and what is needed. If the donations are not right for us, we send them to another resale nonprofit or a rag dealer. Nothing goes to waste. I believe our items go on to live a long life and bring hope, education and security to others. Please give the other side of this story a chance as well.
Sue Fischer, Santa Clarita, Calif.
Supply-and-demand economics don’t stop at our borders, and it is both arrogant and ignorant to dismiss as waste what to people in low-income countries are vital and valuable commodities. And despite the way Kenya Wiley’s op-ed was framed, citizens of African countries aren’t the only ones who participate in the global trade in used clothing.
U.S. consumers who kindly donate their unused clothing should know their garments may be imported by our closest neighbors in Central America, where a 2023 report by my firm, global clothing reseller Garson & Shaw, suggests this vibrant industry will create more than 3 million jobs by 2040 and support those economies to the tune of $196.4 million in tax revenue.
Rather than peddle inaccuracies about the global secondhand trade, which is a thriving example of the circular economy in action, we should turn our focus on the real culprits of overflowing waste piles and environmental degradation: the fast-fashion giants that are swamping us with clothes so cheap they immediately become throwaway items, produced at rock-bottom prices thanks to inhumane working conditions and, in some cases, even slave labor.
Lisa Jepsen, Atlanta
The writer is chief executive of Garson & Shaw.
Kenya Wiley paints a grim picture of textile waste, suggesting that discarded clothing from Western countries often ends up in landfills, contributing to environmental and social issues. However, Ms. Wiley overlooks recent data on textile waste’s impact on African countries, including new research from Ghana.
A recent Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association report challenges the prevailing narrative of textile waste in African countries, suggesting that less than 5 percent of secondhand clothing imported into Ghana could 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, spanning the globe, are part of a growing industry dedicated to the reuse and recycling of textiles and related secondary materials.
We cannot do this alone. All of us should work to establish a robust recycling infrastructure and supporting initiatives that promote environmental stewardship and economic development. Campaigns surrounding the recycling of paper and plastics have made a substantial impact. Governments should make similar legislative efforts to support the textile recycling industry.
We must recognize that we need to work together as a global community to achieve our goal of a circular economy.
Brian London, Rockville
The writer is president of the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association.
