What happens when rivers are so full of clothing that they can no longer support fish? Or are too polluted for plants to grow on their banks? Textile waste is an increasing threat to biodiversity.

Biodiversity is the variety of plant and animal life that maintains the stability and resilience of our ecosystems. It’s the foundation of our living world. We rely on biodiversity for food and energy, and we depend on its indispensable role in sustaining air quality, providing fresh water and soil, and regulating climate.

Fashion’s over reliance on monoculture crops, deforestation, land degradation, and extensive use of pesticides contributes to biodiversity loss. But these are not the only factors. Waste is an issue too.

Slow fashion educator Janet Chemitei lives in Nairobi, Kenya, where she has walked along the clothing-filled Nairobi River—next to the Gikomba secondhand clothing market—multiple times. The clothes found in the Gikomba market are known as mitumba in Swahili. This directly translates to “bundles” and refers to the plastic-wrapped packages of clothing that are exported to Kenya as part of the global fashion secondhand trade—also referred to as waste colonialism.

In recent years, much research and storytelling has unveiled the realities of fashion’s waste crisis. Likewise, biodiversity advocates have begun to show that biodiversity is plummeting—and fashion has a lot to do with it. But, while fashion’s impact on biodiversity is often understood through the lens of fashion production and material development, the impact of post-consumer textile waste on biodiversity remains under-reported.

The banks of the Nairobi River have become a dumping ground for low quality clothing sent from the West to Sub-Saharan Africa

“If the clothing is low quality, has stains, or is too big, the tailors have to re-size or alter them. The resulting offcuts are found on the ground of the market and on the banks of the river. You walk on these pieces,” says Janet. After speaking with traders and observing the Nairobi River, Janet has learnt that poor-quality clothes are immediately discarded as opposed to sold or mended.

Most times, the discarded clothes are synthetic. That means that the chemicals and micro-plastics are leaching into the water

“Most times, the discarded clothes are synthetic. That means that the chemicals and micro-plastics are leaching into the water. I always wonder what effect this has on the living organisms in the river,” she says. “A lot of the research you find about the impact of fashion on biodiversity focusses on materials, deforestation and chemicals, but nothing talks about the impacts of post-consumer waste,” she adds.

Although there’s little scientific research into the effects of textile waste on local biodiversity, the anecdotes of those who witness this waste help us expand our knowledge of the impact of fashion.

This abundance of Western clothing contributes to the degradation of biodiversity

“On the one hand, the influx of Western clothing into Sub-Saharan Africa provides access to affordable clothing for many people through this free, unregulated trade. On the other hand, this abundance of Western clothing contributes to the degradation of biodiversity,” says Enna Uwaifo, a people-centred sustainability professional whose recent masters degree research focused on the socio-environmental impacts of textile waste in Ghana.

A significant portion of the clothing shipped into ports like Tema in Accra, Ghana, ends up as waste, with around 40% being unsellable says Enna. This textile waste overwhelms local waste management systems, leading to pollution of landscapes and beaches, illustrating the tangible impact on the environment, including habitat loss and pollution.

This not only affects marine ecosystems but also has implications for the diet of residents who rely on fish as a staple food in Accra

“Textile waste poses a threat to marine life as micro-plastics from clothing made of materials like PET are ingested by marine organisms. This not only affects marine ecosystems but also has implications for the diet of residents who rely on fish as a staple food in Accra,” says Enna.

This is mirrored in Nairobi. “There’s a river next to the dump site, into which chemicals leach. This river connects with the Nairobi River, which then goes to the sea. These rivers pass through informal settlements. So there’s a lot of injustice happening. And a lack of action to safeguard the lives of people and the environment,” says Janet. “Most people in these settlements grow their food next to the river. With the sewage and clothing pollution, I’m sure the food is also compromised.”

Recent research by Jyoti Sing and Shefali Bansal on the impact of the fashion industry on the climate and ecology showed that disposing of unsold clothing or clothing that can’t be recycled often ends up in landfills, where non-biodegradable materials accumulate and contribute to environmental degradation.

Janet speaks with clarity about how the Nairobi River is polluted and its proximity to food sources. Enna speaks with conviction about the clothing-riddled beaches of Ghana. Yet, there’s little scientific research to back this up.

I often wonder that if we designed for things to last using natural fabrics, would we have the same issue

Groundbreaking research done by The Or Foundation during the Agbetsi Living Water Swim—a month-long exploration of the Volta River System that gives life to millions of people in Ghana and throughout West Africa—is yet to be published. This expedition aims to quantify the effects of clothing waste on this life-giving water body. Janet wishes similar research could be done in Kenya.

Yvette Tetteh of The Or Foundation holds samples of water collected as she swan down the Volta River System in Ghana. Image: Ofoe Amegavie for The Or Foundation

“I often wonder that if we designed for things to last using natural fabrics, would we have the same issue,” says Janet.

And yet, there are ways of producing textiles that preserve biodiversity. “Indigenous methods of textile production—including non-electric techniques such as handloom and handspun weaving and sourcing local, seasonal plants to formulate plant-based dyes—are the methods I explored during my research in India,” says Michelle Doyle, Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative®️ Affiliate and who recently completed her masters on the intersection of cultural sustainability and material impact.

Michelle believes that to address fashion’s biodiversity crisis, we need to look to cultural sustainability. In 2023 the World Economic Forum reported that while indigenous peoples make up less than 5% of our population, they’re protecting 80% of the planet’s biodiversity. This is because indigenous communities, as stewards of their land hold the knowledge, traditions, and practices essential to conserving these regions of high biodiversity.

Global goals for biodiversity were agreed at the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2022, acting as the biodiversity equivalent of the Paris Agreement. Similar to the Paris Agreement, business will be expected to play their part in meeting these biodiversity goals by setting targets that are proportionate to their contribution to the issues.

But, a lot of the new legislation being advocated for in the EU, including Extended Producer Responsibility policies for fashion, isn’t consultative enough, says Janet. We need to look at what solutions are already happening on the ground.

“By co-producing solutions with informal workers who manage waste, the fashion industry can better address biodiversity issues associated with textile waste while also supporting local economies and communities. This approach offers a promising pathway towards mitigating the environmental impact of the fashion industry and promoting biodiversity conservation in Africa,” says Enna.

What can’t be measured, can’t be managed

There is a common adage in the fashion industry that says, “What can’t be measured, can’t be managed.” This holds true for the impacts of clothing waste on biodiversity. The harms are clear, but the details are murky.

• Image of young person with clothes from Freepik
• Image of Yvette Tetteh by Ofoe Amegavie for The Or Foundation
• Images of Nairobi River supplied by Janet Chemitei