The hidden cost of Uganda’s love for second-hand clothing

• Uganda’s booming second-hand clothing market supports thousands of livelihoods but generates massive textile waste, with up to 48 tonnes discarded daily, most of it ending up in landfills.
• While informal waste collectors and tailors repurpose some textiles, the country lacks structured recycling systems, exacerbating environmental challenges.
• The Uganda Circular Textiles Project presents a solution by promoting upcycling and a circular textile economy, which could create green jobs, reduce waste, and attract investment in sustainable fashion.

In Uganda’s Owino market, one has to muscle their way as stalls overflow with piles of second-hand clothing, with traders out-shouting each other to win bargain-hunters looking for affordable fashion.

From trendy jeans to branded jackets, the market offers a vast selection at prices that fit virtually every pocket. At the moment, Uganda is one of Africa’s largest importers of second-hand clothing, bringing in 80 million kilograms in 2023 alone, generating US$70.85 million in tax revenue.

This booming trade supports approximately 50,000 traders in Owino Market alone, creating livelihoods for thousands more in transport, tailoring, and retail.

While second-hand clothing provides an economic lifeline and access to quality fashion, its darker side is becoming increasingly evident. A recent study by WasteAid, the Management Training and Advisory Centre, and the Uganda Tailors Association highlights how Uganda’s dependence on second-hand clothing is contributing to a massive textile waste crisis.

The hidden costs of second-hand clothing

Although second-hand clothing is celebrated for affordability and sustainability, Uganda’s market operates on a linear model, meaning that once clothing reaches the end of its life cycle, there are few mechanisms for recycling or repurposing. Unlike countries with structured circular textile economies, Uganda’s second-hand clothing industry is yet to develop formal waste management systems for discarded textiles.

According to the study, textile waste accounts for up to 3 per cent of Uganda’s total waste, translating to an estimated 48 tonnes per day. With no nationwide textile recycling facilities, most of this waste ends up in landfills, is burned, or is informally repurposed.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) handles waste collection in Owino Market, but only 69 per cent of mixed textile and organic waste is formally collected. The rest is either left unmanaged or collected by informal waste pickers, who repurpose textile scraps for upholstery, mattress stuffing, or fuel.

The challenge of unsold and unusable stock

Second-hand clothing traders carefully select their inventory, but not everything finds a buyer. A staggering 54.8 per cent of trader’s report that some items remain unsellable, often due to damage, fading, or irreparable stains. While some attempt to clear stock through discounts or seasonal sales, a significant portion is ultimately discarded.

At Owino Market, the study established that the waste generation starts the moment imported bales are unwrapped. Inside each 45kg bale, clothing is graded into:

• Grade A – high-quality, nearly-new items that fetch the highest prices.
• Grade B – good-quality items with minor defects, sold at moderate prices.
• Grade C – visibly worn clothes, the cheapest in the market.
• Fagi – locally classified as low-grade, slower-moving stock.
• Rags – heavily worn-out or damaged clothes, often repurposed or discarded.
• Waste – completely unusable textiles, thrown away.

With an estimated 0.9–1 per cent of clothing in each bale classified as waste, Uganda generates over 800,000Kg of SHC waste annually from bale-opening alone. This is in addition to the tonnes of textiles discarded by consumers daily.

Informal solutions: Waste pickers and tailors

Faced with mounting waste, informal waste pickers and tailors are emerging as key players in waste diversion. In Owino Market, around 755,820–879,580Kg of textile waste is collected annually by informal collectors, primarily consisting of tailoring offcuts. These materials are often repurposed into products such as:

• Pillow and mattress stuffing
• Cleaning rags for industries
• Small fabric items like hair accessories and children’s toys

While these efforts help reduce waste, the informal sector lacks the scale and investment needed to fully integrate textile recycling into Uganda’s economy. Without structured collection and repurposing systems, a large portion of second-hand clothing waste still finds its way into landfills or is burned, contributing to air pollution and environmental degradation.

The circular economy solution

Recognizing the urgent need for action, the Uganda Circular Textiles Project has launched initiatives to explore waste sorting and reuse strategies. A pilot project involving fashion students, textile specialists, and artisans successfully repurposed textile waste into fashion items, home décor, and artwork. Some of the products developed included:

• Floor mats and table mats
• Upcycled fabric tops
• Decorative wall hangings

This shift from viewing textiles as waste to seeing them as raw materials presents a major opportunity for Uganda to transition toward a circular textile economy. If properly implemented, the study estimates that upcycling second-hand clothing waste could create new green jobs, reduce landfill reliance, and open doors for international investment in textile innovation.

The economic potential of textile waste recycling

Financial analysis from the pilot initiative revealed that novice tailors could earn US$4.6 per day, while professional tailors could make up to US$17.9 per day by repurposing textile waste. The success of this initiative demonstrates that textile recycling is not just an environmental necessity but also an economic opportunity. Beyond individual earnings, structured investment in textile recycling could lead to:

• Creation of specialized textile recycling hubs
• Expansion of upcycling enterprises
• Reduction in reliance on landfill disposal
• Lower carbon emissions from textile waste burning
• The future of textile waste management – policy, investment, and Innovation

For Uganda to fully embrace sustainable textile management, collaboration between stakeholders is crucial. Local governments, international organizations, and businesses must work together to:

• Establish textile recycling infrastructure – Investment in large-scale sorting, shredding, and repurposing facilities.
• Develop policies supporting circular fashion – Incentives for businesses that engage in textile recycling and waste reduction.
• Educate consumers on sustainable fashion – Encouraging responsible consumption and donation instead of discarding clothes.
• Support innovation in upcycling – Promoting local talent in repurposing textiles into high-value products.

All in all, the survey has established that Uganda’s love for second-hand clothing has created both economic benefits and environmental challenges. While second-hand clothing provides affordable fashion and supports thousands of livelihoods, the country is struggling to manage the growing textile waste problem.

The Uganda Circular Textiles Project offers a roadmap for a sustainable future, demonstrating that with investment, innovation, and policy support, Uganda can transform textile waste into new economic opportunities. The time to act is now—to keep fashion accessible while ensuring a cleaner, greener future for generations to come.

Read also: AfDB: Circular economy is Africa’s future