secondhand clothing

As the country grapples with a severe environmental crisis due to the hazardous consequences of secondhand clothing waste, a levy has been proposed to better manage the situation. Across every part of the country, once-vibrant landscapes and communities are now under siege as pollution from discarded garments takes a torturous toll on the nation. Fast fashion, driven by the global demand for ever-changing trends, has inundated Ghana with a deluge of secondhand clothing. Over 150,000,000kg of secondhand clothes are imported into the country on an annual basis, according to The Or Foundation. By its estimates, this is equivalent to around…

Dealers in secondhand clothing have lamented a 153 percent hike in import duty, saying thousands of Ghanaians risk losing their source of livelihood if nothing is done. In the first quarter of 2022, the Ghana Used Clothing Association (GAUCA) said it cost GH¢15,000 as import duty on a 40-foot container. However, since first quarter of this year it has gone up by over 300 percent to GH¢38,000. The situation, GAUCA lamented, is further worsened by factors such as cedi-depreciation, high inflation and a harsh economic environment – including deteriorating purchasing power of consumers and further taxes. As a result, industry…