Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Ban the export of unusable textiles and end the clothing dumping catastrophe
Closed
74 signatures
What the petition asks
I am calling for stricter regulations on the textiles shipped to developing countries like Ghana. A more efficient screening process is required to ensure anything sent is at least of good quality.
“~40% of used clothes imported into the country ends up rotting in landfill sites” - Daily Mail
Growing up in Ghana for 10 years of my life is something I really cherish. Ghana is not only my beloved homeland, but it is also now one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is becoming a tourist destination. Whilst there is an existing second-hand industry in Ghana, the textiles being sent over in more recent times have been of very poor quality. The traders in Kantamanto market have found that the majority of the bales they buy are full of clothes which can’t be used or sold.
Growing up in Ghana for 10 years of my life is something I really cherish. Ghana is not only my beloved homeland, but it is also now one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is becoming a tourist destination. Whilst there is an existing second-hand industry in Ghana, the textiles being sent over in more recent times have been of very poor quality. The traders in Kantamanto market have found that the majority of the bales they buy are full of clothes which can’t be used or sold.
Timeline
| 26 Aug 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 26 Feb 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
74
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened
26 Aug 2020
Closed
26 Feb 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.