Petition · past parliament
Tougher UK regulation of the export of second-hand clothing
Closed
74 signatures
What the petition asks
We require that the Government take responsibility by introducing new regulations for the second-hand market about which textiles can leave the UK. These should prevent the export of clothing that is in poor condition or which is not useful for the country they are being sent to.
The UK is the second biggest exporter of used textiles. Charity shops end up with items that are hard to sell. Around 35% of the world’s second-hand clothing trade go straight to the African continent, and an estimated 17 million items from the West circulate weekly in the Kantamanto market in Ghana, with 50% being discarded.
Timeline
| 8 Feb 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 8 Aug 2023 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
74
Status
Closed
Opened
8 Feb 2023
Closed
8 Aug 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.