Haptic & Hue: Textile Waste and the Catastrophe at Kantamanto – Detailed Summary
Released May 1, 2025
Introduction
In the episode titled "Textile Waste and the Catastrophe at Kantamanto," host Jo Andrews delves into the devastating impact of textile waste on communities and the environment, using the catastrophic fire at Ghana's Kantamanto Market as a focal point. Through interviews with key figures like Liz Ricketts of the Ore Foundation and insights from experts like Lisa Macintyre, the episode explores the intricate dynamics of the global clothing reuse industry, the challenges posed by fast fashion, and the urgent need for sustainable practices.
The Fire at Kantamanto Market
The episode opens with a harrowing account of a massive fire that ravaged Kantamanto Market in Ghana on New Year's Day, 2025. Jo Andrews sets the scene:
"Late at night on New Year's Day, as the world was winding down from celebrating the arrival of 2025, a disastrous fire broke out at the biggest second-hand clothes market on the face of the planet. The flames quickly ripped through Cantamanto Market in Ghana, West Africa." [00:07]
Liz Ricketts, co-founder of the Ore Foundation, provides detailed insights into the aftermath:
"The fire impacted 10 out of the 13 sections, destroying about 60% of the retailer side of the market and directly impacting over 10,000 individuals." [00:28]
Human Impact and Personal Stories
Rukiah Abubakar, a stallholder who lost her entire business in the fire, shares the personal toll:
"We lost everything. They have their written assets... How are they going to raise the amount of money if I haven't sold anything?" [04:53]
She further emphasizes the emotional and financial struggles faced by the community:
"Some people have been paralyzed from the shock... Others have died due to that and have lost so much." [03:56]
Rukiah highlights that approximately 85% of the women at Kantamanto rely solely on their stalls for livelihood, underscoring the market's role as a lifeline for families.
Kantamanto Market: The Heart of Global Clothing Reuse
Liz Ricketts elaborates on the significance of Kantamanto Market:
"The retailer side to the market is the biggest in the world. There's 30,000 people who work there. About 15 million garments flow through this market every single week." [06:18]
She praises the community's resilience and creativity in repurposing garments:
"Taking a minimum of 25 million garments every month and finding a new home for them... Whether that's a tailor customizing an outfit for an individual or making 100, 150 items a day." [07:32]
Impact of Fast Fashion
The advent of fast fashion has severely undermined Kantamanto's sustainability:
"Between 2011 and 2016, we started to see more and more waste and the market being impacted by fast fashion... Retailers started telling us they didn't feel there was dignity in their work anymore." [07:59]
Liz explains how the influx of low-quality, overproduced garments has eroded the market's traditional business model, leading to increased waste and debt:
"The value of the clothing has gone down while operating expenses have gone up... The cooperative spirit within the market has disappeared." [09:44]
Global Consumption and Fast Fashion's Role
Holly, a recent UK university graduate, provides a perspective on Western consumption patterns:
"Social media has had a huge impact on trends and encourages us to consume at a level we haven't before... Trends change so quickly that we no longer have use for our clothing." [17:21]
She discusses the prevalence of fast fashion retailers like Shein and the psychological factors driving excessive consumption among young consumers.
Textile Waste Statistics and Recycling Challenges
Associate Professor Lisa Macintyre offers a thorough analysis of the global textile waste crisis:
"Textile overproduction is responsible for about 10 to 12% of global carbon emissions... It's one of the world's biggest consumers of water and producers of water pollution." [23:32]
She breaks down the inefficiencies in current recycling methods:
- Reuse (Best Practice): Maximizes sustainability by extending garment life without additional energy.
- Closed-Loop Recycling: Turning textiles back into similar products, though rare.
- Open-Loop Recycling: Converting textiles into lower-value products like cleaning cloths or insulation.
- Energy Recovery: Burning textiles for energy, which is a far less ideal solution.
Macintyre emphasizes that less than 0.1% of recycled textiles re-enter the clothing cycle, highlighting the minimal impact of current recycling efforts.
"Recycling is never going to be as efficient as recycling glass or tin... We need to vastly reduce our consumption." [30:23]
Conclusions and Calls for Change
Both Liz Ricketts and Lisa Macintyre stress the necessity of addressing the root causes of textile waste—primarily overproduction and overconsumption driven by fast fashion. They advocate for a shift towards reducing production volumes and enhancing the value of reused and upcycled garments.
Liz underscores the importance of respecting and supporting the Kantamanto community:
"Contamento is a community first and foremost... An incredible community with an incredible skill set that deserves to be respected and uplifted." [36:23]
Lisa encourages individual behavioral changes, such as repairing clothes and prioritizing reuse over recycling:
"Reduce, reuse, recycle is vitally important. Reduce is the most important, reuse the second, and recycle the third best option." [34:03]
Final Thoughts
Jo Andrews closes the episode by highlighting the ongoing crisis of textile waste and the need for collective action. She acknowledges the incremental positive changes, such as the rise of secondhand platforms like Vinted and Depop, but emphasizes that significant reduction in consumption is imperative.
"Textile waste is a real crisis and one that is getting worse every year. But somehow, because it's an enduring one, it never seems to rise to the top of the pile." [33:31]
Key Takeaways
- Kantamanto Market's Crucial Role: As the largest second-hand clothes market globally, it is pivotal in the global clothing reuse cycle but is threatened by disasters and systemic changes.
- Destructive Impact of Fast Fashion: Overproduction and low-quality garments undermine sustainable practices, leading to increased waste and economic strain on communities like Kantamanto.
- Inefficiency of Current Recycling Methods: Most textile recycling processes are ineffective, costly, and rarely restore garments to a reusable state.
- Urgent Need for Reduction in Consumption: The most sustainable approach is to reduce textile production and consumption, enhancing reuse and upcycling.
- Community and Individual Responsibility: Supporting communities involved in textile reuse and adopting personal sustainable practices are essential steps toward mitigating the crisis.
Notable Quotes
- Liz Ricketts: "The cooperation that used to exist across the market... doesn't function to the degree that it did when I first went to Kantamonto in 2011." [07:59]
- Rukiah Abubakar: "We lost everything." [04:53]
- Holly: "Social media has really had a huge impact on trends and on micro trends and on encouraging us to consume at a level that we haven't before." [17:21]
- Lisa Macintyre: "We need to vastly reduce our consumption... not hoping that technology saves us from our own reckless behavior." [32:25]
Conclusion
The episode "Textile Waste and the Catastrophe at Kantamanto" provides a comprehensive exploration of the textile waste crisis, highlighting the interconnectedness of global consumption patterns, local economies, and environmental sustainability. Through personal stories and expert analysis, Jo Andrews underscores the urgent need for systemic change to foster a more sustainable and equitable textile industry.