To calculate the number of clothes thrown away each second, the annual waste figure—around 11.28 million tons, or 22.56 billion pounds—was divided by the number of seconds per year—around 31.56 million. In that calculation, each piece of clothing was estimated to weigh around 5.33 ounces—one third of a pound—to account for differences in types of clothing and footwear. Each year, half a million tonnes of plastic microfibres shed from washing plastic-based textiles such as polyester, nylon, or acrylic, ending up in the ocean. That’s the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.

Brands have to be committed to say: I'm going to eliminate this raw material polyester, for example, from my supply chain in five to 10 years' time, forcing people to find alternative ways, which are more sustainable. It is the brands' CEOs' responsibility to do that," Lee said. Firstly, we can hold companies accountablefor their promises. For example, the UK’s Green Claims Codemight offer a way to call out companies that promise “green” collections or “recycled” garments. What we do know is that the unnecessary overproduction of clothing is a leading cause of climate change and plastic pollution. The demand for oil to make polyester is even fuelling Russia’s war, according to the Changing Markets Foundation.Partly because of all this plastic use, and the energy needed to process it, the fashion industry produces 8–10% of global CO2 emissions (4–5 billion tonnes annually). Along with demand for polyester, this is set to rise. Because polyester is basically plastic, it takes years to break down. Different synthetic fibres like polyester are often blended to make fabric, making them hard to separate. The expression ‘mad as a hatter’ was in use 30 years before Lewis Carroll popularised it with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Mercury poisoning was an occupational hazard for hat makers in the 18th and 19th Centuries: the chemical was used in the production of felt, and prolonged exposure led to what was termed the ‘mad hatter disease’. Symptoms included tremors and pathological shyness and irritability – leading to doubts that Carroll’s eccentric milliner was a sufferer, with an article in the British Medical Journal suggesting “it could scarcely be said that the Mad Hatter suffered to any great extent from the desire to go unnoticed”. A recent episode of the Dutch television programme ‘ De prijsknaller’ (the best deal) showed what happens to the contents of the containers. The clothing is first sorted. The bulk, not suitable for resale as second-hand clothing in the Netherlands, is sold on to Eastern Europe. The clothes are again sorted there. What is not suitable for the local market is sold on to Africa. There too the clothes are again sorted. What is again not suitable for trade ends up on a huge mountain of waste. With so many links in the export chain, nobody takes responsibility for the environmental damage that is wreaked. THE SITUATION IN ACCRA, GHANA

Western countries dump huge quantities of clothing on low-income countries. The reason is an abundance of cheap poor quality clothing. This practice is making the textile industry, and especially the fast fashion industry, even more polluting than it already is. An extensive enquiry and 2019 report by the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) led to a series of impressive recommendations – all of which the UK Government rejected. The dangers to nature, the climate and all human life of an out-of-control fashion industry are immense. Fast fashion is designed to be disposable

The antidote is more conscious fashion production – and consumption

Fast fashion has boomed on the availability of synthetic fibres. These fabrics may be cheap at the point of sale, but they form part of a petrochemical economy which is fueling run away climate change and pollution. In the year that the UK hosts COP 26, we need to see action from the government and industry to create a more sustainable fashion system.

Why is there so much clothing now? What’s it made of and who made it all? And where does it all end up when it’s no longer wanted? And Ghana isn’t the only country facing these massive problems. A recent investigation revealed that Europe is dumping 37 million pieces of plastic clothing on Kenya, too. This is going to hurt, but it needs to be said: fashion is a disaster in terms of its environmental impacts. And as a nation, our fast fashion addiction is getting worse – thanks to surges in online shopping due to Covid-19. We do need affordable clothing, but is this really the best way to go about it? Fashion is made to become wasteThe upcycling and reuse culture in Accra is a great example of what a more sustainable and circular fashion industry could look like.