Trashion: The stealth export of waste plastic clothes to Kenya

Our research has taken us from the oil wells and refineries of polyester production to the brands and their policies on fossil fuel-derived fibres. Now, we finally reach the end of the runway for fossil fashion: the used clothing trade on its inexorable journey to becoming waste.

The aim of our investigation was to illustrate what happens to used clothing upon export from the EU and the UK and identify what proportion may be going straight into landfill sites and the wider environment, for example, into lakes, rivers, and other watercourses, bypassing re-use and recycling/downcycling sectors. Kenya was chosen as an investigation destination because it receives a significant volume of UK and EU-used clothing exports, which appear to contribute to domestic landfill and environmental pollution issues. The national customs trade data also allowed us to connect the downstream end of the export supply chain to the upstream actors.

Our report finds that the system of used clothing trade is currently at a breaking point. It finds that the export of used clothing is, to a large extent export of waste, burdening the communities and environment in receiving countries.

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