We spend months planting, nurturing, and harvesting cotton, only for it to be shipped abroad, while we are left with nothing to clothe ourselves except second-hand garments—made from the very same cotton—discarded by Western consumers after excessive use. The situation is no better for local workers in this industry, who endure conditions that are even more exploitative and inhumane. Second-hand clothing has flooded African markets due to its affordability and variety, making it common to see people wearing garments from global brands that were originally donated to charities but later sold to local consumers in the shadows. Others are factory rejects that failed to meet Western retail standards. Yet, the debate continues over the import of these textiles and their impact on local industries.
In Uganda, cotton remains one of the country’s primary cash crops, yet 95% of it is exported as raw material, with only 5% processed in local textile facilities. The same cotton grown here returns as “bales” of used clothing after consumers in Europe and the United States have discarded them. Uganda and its neighboring African nations have now become a dumping ground for 70% of the world’s discarded fashion, with 80% of clothes sold locally being second-hand, making it nearly impossible for local production to compete. Many of these imported clothes arrive torn, stained, or unwashed.
Exploitation at Both Ends
Exploitation in the fashion industry is a thread linking the underpaid garment workers in producing countries with the mountainous dumps of discarded clothing in Uganda. On both ends of this cycle, the labor—often done by women and young people—is poorly paid and hazardous, keeping workers trapped in cycles of poverty. Meanwhile, those at the top of the supply chain—the brands and importers—reap enormous profits.
One of the key reasons this system persists is that the real cost of fashion is hidden from consumers. When someone buys a cheap garment, they remain unaware of the struggles of the workers who made it and the collapse of local textile industries that were once thriving. If nothing changes, these industries face extinction—not just due to the overwhelming influx of foreign clothing, but also because their products are deemed unfashionable or unable to match the artificially low prices of imported second-hand garments.
Unwanted, low-quality clothing donated to charity shops in Europe and the U.S. is often shipped in bales to African markets, where it is resold in second-hand markets and boutique stores. These bales are categorized into different grades, with first-grade items being the most expensive and sold in higher-end resale shops. Clothes that are too damaged end up in landfills, where they clog drainage systems in urban slums. According to a recent case study, waste management in Uganda receives less than 10% of municipal budgets, exacerbating environmental hazards.
The exploitation of workers in Uganda’s low-cost, second-hand fashion industry follows a vicious cycle: they are underpaid, work in unsafe conditions, and their country is treated as a dumping ground for the Global North’s fashion waste.
“Sustainable” – A Corporate Greenwashing Myth
In a tour of local markets, we encountered unwashed undergarments, sweat-stained sportswear, and children’s used bibs and clothing, all bearing the labels of major Western fashion brands. These items—worn once in Europe or the U.S.—are resold in Uganda instead of being properly disposed of. Many donors have no idea where their clothes end up.
In the foul-smelling landfills of discarded clothing, the reality of the industry is clear: the overproduction and overconsumption that fuel the fashion industry are fundamentally unsustainable. This bleak truth exposes the hollowness of corporate buzzwords like “sustainable,” “ethical,” and “corporate social responsibility”, often used to mislead consumers into believing they are part of a solution. Yet, at the current rate, fashion consumption is anything but sustainable—53 million tons of clothing are either burned or dumped in landfills every year.
Some African countries, such as Rwanda, have resisted this economic exploitation by banning the import of second-hand clothing. However, when Uganda attempted to do the same, the United States threatened it with severe economic sanctions, including removal from the AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act), which grants duty-free access to U.S. markets.
But what is the long-term cost to the people and the planet if this destructive consumption cycle continues? The only way to create a truly sustainable fashion industry is to reform the current business model, starting with paying garment workers a living wage. The industry must produce fewer but higher-quality garments, while consumers must buy less, and brands must pay fair prices for labor.
A Need for a New Economic Model
A living wage for garment workers would have far-reaching positive effects, allowing them to live with dignity, afford food, housing, education, and healthcare. These improvements would uplift local communities and break the cycles of poverty that date back to the colonial era. Ultimately, fair wages would reduce overproduction, meaning fewer discarded clothes ending up in landfills.
Simply put, for workers to receive fair wages, brands must pay more for their products and rethink their production models. Instead of competing in a race to the bottom on price, they should factor in the true cost of clothing, including fair wages and sustainable sourcing. With higher wages and reduced overconsumption, fewer second-hand bales would make their way to Uganda, strengthening the local textile industry and creating more jobs for Ugandan workers.
However, powerful corporate interests are determined to maintain the status quo, as global fashion brands fight to keep production costs low and profits high. Despite widespread acknowledgment of the need for fair wages, not a single major fashion brand can prove that it pays a living wage to all garment workers in its supply chain.
The Urgent Need for Legislation
The solution cannot rely on voluntary corporate commitments alone. Urgent legislation is needed to stop the continued exploitation of workers and the planet. We cannot afford to sit back while global brands ignore the destruction they are causing.
This urgency has given rise to initiatives like the European Citizens’ Initiative for Living Wages in the Garment and Textile Industry, which seeks to establish binding laws to hold the global fashion industry accountable. Such legislation would not only protect garment workers in Europe but also benefit African workers, whose local industries are starting to export textiles to international markets. It would also pave the way for laws addressing the true cost of fashion waste disposal across the continent.
However, much of this responsibility also falls on African governments. By investing in domestic textile industries, processing more of their own cotton, and reducing dependence on imported garments, they can revive local economies, create jobs, and offer affordable, high-quality textiles to their own people.
Without such systemic changes, the people will remain trapped in a web of exploitation, while the Global North continues to profit from the sweat and suffering of African workers.
In Uganda, cotton remains one of the country’s primary cash crops, yet 95% of it is exported as raw material, with only 5% processed in local textile facilities. The same cotton grown here returns as “bales” of used clothing after consumers in Europe and the United States have discarded them. Uganda and its neighboring African nations have now become a dumping ground for 70% of the world’s discarded fashion, with 80% of clothes sold locally being second-hand, making it nearly impossible for local production to compete. Many of these imported clothes arrive torn, stained, or unwashed.
Exploitation at Both Ends
Exploitation in the fashion industry is a thread linking the underpaid garment workers in producing countries with the mountainous dumps of discarded clothing in Uganda. On both ends of this cycle, the labor—often done by women and young people—is poorly paid and hazardous, keeping workers trapped in cycles of poverty. Meanwhile, those at the top of the supply chain—the brands and importers—reap enormous profits.
One of the key reasons this system persists is that the real cost of fashion is hidden from consumers. When someone buys a cheap garment, they remain unaware of the struggles of the workers who made it and the collapse of local textile industries that were once thriving. If nothing changes, these industries face extinction—not just due to the overwhelming influx of foreign clothing, but also because their products are deemed unfashionable or unable to match the artificially low prices of imported second-hand garments.
Unwanted, low-quality clothing donated to charity shops in Europe and the U.S. is often shipped in bales to African markets, where it is resold in second-hand markets and boutique stores. These bales are categorized into different grades, with first-grade items being the most expensive and sold in higher-end resale shops. Clothes that are too damaged end up in landfills, where they clog drainage systems in urban slums. According to a recent case study, waste management in Uganda receives less than 10% of municipal budgets, exacerbating environmental hazards.
The exploitation of workers in Uganda’s low-cost, second-hand fashion industry follows a vicious cycle: they are underpaid, work in unsafe conditions, and their country is treated as a dumping ground for the Global North’s fashion waste.
“Sustainable” – A Corporate Greenwashing Myth
In a tour of local markets, we encountered unwashed undergarments, sweat-stained sportswear, and children’s used bibs and clothing, all bearing the labels of major Western fashion brands. These items—worn once in Europe or the U.S.—are resold in Uganda instead of being properly disposed of. Many donors have no idea where their clothes end up.
In the foul-smelling landfills of discarded clothing, the reality of the industry is clear: the overproduction and overconsumption that fuel the fashion industry are fundamentally unsustainable. This bleak truth exposes the hollowness of corporate buzzwords like “sustainable,” “ethical,” and “corporate social responsibility”, often used to mislead consumers into believing they are part of a solution. Yet, at the current rate, fashion consumption is anything but sustainable—53 million tons of clothing are either burned or dumped in landfills every year.
Some African countries, such as Rwanda, have resisted this economic exploitation by banning the import of second-hand clothing. However, when Uganda attempted to do the same, the United States threatened it with severe economic sanctions, including removal from the AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act), which grants duty-free access to U.S. markets.
But what is the long-term cost to the people and the planet if this destructive consumption cycle continues? The only way to create a truly sustainable fashion industry is to reform the current business model, starting with paying garment workers a living wage. The industry must produce fewer but higher-quality garments, while consumers must buy less, and brands must pay fair prices for labor.
A Need for a New Economic Model
A living wage for garment workers would have far-reaching positive effects, allowing them to live with dignity, afford food, housing, education, and healthcare. These improvements would uplift local communities and break the cycles of poverty that date back to the colonial era. Ultimately, fair wages would reduce overproduction, meaning fewer discarded clothes ending up in landfills.
Simply put, for workers to receive fair wages, brands must pay more for their products and rethink their production models. Instead of competing in a race to the bottom on price, they should factor in the true cost of clothing, including fair wages and sustainable sourcing. With higher wages and reduced overconsumption, fewer second-hand bales would make their way to Uganda, strengthening the local textile industry and creating more jobs for Ugandan workers.
However, powerful corporate interests are determined to maintain the status quo, as global fashion brands fight to keep production costs low and profits high. Despite widespread acknowledgment of the need for fair wages, not a single major fashion brand can prove that it pays a living wage to all garment workers in its supply chain.
The Urgent Need for Legislation
The solution cannot rely on voluntary corporate commitments alone. Urgent legislation is needed to stop the continued exploitation of workers and the planet. We cannot afford to sit back while global brands ignore the destruction they are causing.
This urgency has given rise to initiatives like the European Citizens’ Initiative for Living Wages in the Garment and Textile Industry, which seeks to establish binding laws to hold the global fashion industry accountable. Such legislation would not only protect garment workers in Europe but also benefit African workers, whose local industries are starting to export textiles to international markets. It would also pave the way for laws addressing the true cost of fashion waste disposal across the continent.
However, much of this responsibility also falls on African governments. By investing in domestic textile industries, processing more of their own cotton, and reducing dependence on imported garments, they can revive local economies, create jobs, and offer affordable, high-quality textiles to their own people.
Without such systemic changes, the people will remain trapped in a web of exploitation, while the Global North continues to profit from the sweat and suffering of African workers.
