What's fast fashion's impact on local economies?

Think Change

Fast fashion has transformed how we consume clothing. A staggering 11.3 million tonnes of textile waste ends up in US landfills alone every year.

This global fashion waste crisis has far-reaching consequences for the environment, economy and local communities. Sites which often appear like dumping grounds for unused goods can transform themselves into major sources of creativity and livelihoods. One such place is Kantamanto market in Ghana, a vibrant community and trading hub where waste is reimagined into beautiful, sustainable fashion. But Kantamanto is also a site of environmental hazards.

On 2 January 2025, shortly after recording this episode, the market was hit by a devastating fire that has left over 100 shops and many livelihoods in ruins. It’s the latest of several incidents, and illustrates the complex and precarious nature of daily life in Kantamanto.

This episode examines this reality in closer detail. Millions of second-hand garments are sent to Kantamanto from the West every week. Many are repaired, altered and resold by local businesses, whilst others are sent unusable, but at a cost to local traders.

Guests dissect what we can learn from Kantamanto market about how fast fashion and consumer behaviour is impacting African countries. We hear about how to create a fairer, more sustainable fashion industry, and why it’s so critical the voices and realities of communities most directly impacted by fashion’s waste problem are at the heart of solutions.
Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Marta Foresti, Founder and CEO, LAGO & Visiting Senior Fellow, ODI Global
• Ekaette (Eka) Ikpe, ODI Global Board Member & Director, African Leadership Centre
• Yayra Agbofah, Founder and Creative Director, the Revival
  

Related resources

• LAGO Collective website: https://www.lagocollective.org/
  
• The Revival website: https://www.therevival.earth/
  Culture and the creative economy: https://odi.org/en/topics/culture-and-the-creative-economy/ (Resources hub, ODI Global)
  
• Under the tangerine sun: the creative economy in global cities: https://odi.org/en/publications/under-the-tangerine-sun-the-creative-economy-in-global-cities/ (Insight, ODI Global)
  
• Tensions and duality in developing a circular fashion economy in Kenya: https://academic.oup.com/cjres/article/17/3/577/7721557 (Paper, Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society)
  
• Fashion designers as lead firms from below: creative economy, state capitalism and internationalization in Lagos and Nairobi: https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/lWrXCE92zc3qnonCBCkI7tf_Q?domain=journals.sagepub.com (Paper, Sage Journals)
  
• Can art and design change the world? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)
  
• Creating our collective future: what the arts and design can do for development: https://odi.org/en/insights/creating-our-collective-future-what-the-arts-and-design-can-do-for-development/ (Insight, ODI Global)