The Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association – Accra wishes to inform the general public, media, and relevant authorities that today’s peaceful strike action, is in protest against the OR Foundation’s continuous defamation of our trade and the tarnishing of Ghana’s image in the international community.
Over the past few years, the OR Foundation has circulated inaccurate and damaging reports that seek to portray the used clothing trade in Ghana, particularly in the Kantamanto Market, as a dumping ground for textile waste. They have claimed in international publications that 40% of imported used clothing ends up as waste in landfills, burning sites and beaches in Ghana. They further allege that over 15 million garments are discarded weekly in Accra, with much of it coming from Kantamanto.
We find these figures highly exaggerated, misleading, and not representative of the realities on the ground. These reports fail to acknowledge that the vast majority of used clothing imported into Ghana is sorted, reused, reworked, and resold — forming the backbone of a circular economy that sustains well over 30,000 direct traders and over 100,000 additional livelihoods, including head porters (kayayei), tailors, truck pushers, transport operators, loaders, and food vendors who operate daily around the Kantamanto Market alone.
The used clothing trade is not a waste problem — it is a livelihood solution. It provides affordable clothing for millions of Ghanaians and employment for thousands of families. By framing our trade as a global environmental hazard, the OR Foundation is not only attacking the dignity of hardworking Ghanaians, but also undermining a vibrant sector of Ghana’s informal economy.
We want to state clearly and firmly:
- The OR Foundation does not speak for us, nor do they represent our lived experiences or interests.
- We reject the portrayal of Ghana as a global dumping site, which is false, harmful, and disrespectful.
- We call for an immediate end to these campaigns that threaten our livelihoods and tarnish our country’s image.
As a result, all used clothing shops and businesses in Accra, particularly within the Kantamanto Market, will remain closed on Thursday, April 10, 2025, as a sign of peaceful resistance and protest.
We call on the government, civil society organizations, development partners, and the media to investigate these claims independently, engage with those who actually work within the trade, and support efforts to protect the dignity and sustainability of our industry.
