Closing the Loop: How Africa Collect Textiles Is Tackling Fashion Waste

From mountains of discarded clothing in Chile’s desert, to riverbeds filled with garments in Kenya, to textile tentacles washed ashore in Ghana—the global fashion system is broken. Second-hand clothes collected in the Global North for reuse in the Global South, will inevitably end up as waste. Unfortunately, many recipient countries lack the infrastructure to properly collect, sort, and recycle used and wasted textiles.

Meet Elmar Stroomer and Alex Musembi, founders of Africa Collect Textiles (ACT). Their mission is to "close the global fashion loop" by breaking the vicious cycle of a linear fashion system.

A Global System Failure

The fashion industry exposes deep global inequalities. High-income countries consume a lot of new clothing, then export used items to low-income nations. While this second-hand trade provides affordable clothing, it also offloads environmental costs to regions without the means to manage them. Ironically, it’s often the poorest communities who bear the biggest environmental burden while financing the “circular textile economy” in the Global North.

Used textiles often end up in landfills, waterways, or are burned in the open air—releasing micro plastics, CO₂ and methane, polluting ecosystems in multiple ways. Many second-hand clothing exports are waste upon arrival, though figures vary. Regardless of the percentage of waste that is being imported, all garments ultimately become waste—highlighting the urgent need for end-of-life solutions in Africa.

Building a Circular Solution from the South

ACT started collecting used clothing in Nairobi in 2014. “People thought we were crazy,” says co-founder Elmar. “Why collect clothes in a country where 80% already wear second-hand from abroad?” But ACT saw opportunity in a growing middle class—people outgrowing, upgrading, or discarding clothes still in good condition, making better use of what is already here.

With over 60 drop-off points across Kenya and Nigeria, ACT collects, sorts, and redistributes wearable items to vulnerable communities. Non-wearable clothing, as well as used uniforms, are upcycled into rugs, baskets, bags, and toys using traditional Kenyan and Nigerian crafts—some upcycled products return to Europe, symbolically closing the loop.

Unlike in Europe, ACT cannot depend on profits from high-quality second-hand clothing sales. Instead, it creates value through upcycling and aims to leapfrog outdated models from the Global North. While much of the region lacks robust infrastructure for textile collection and fiber recovery, East and West Africa retain key elements of a functioning textile ecosystem—from cotton cultivation to tailoring. This positions the region uniquely to develop a truly circular textile economy, built on both local resources and inclusive approaches.

What’s Next for ACT?

ACT is scaling up. It can source up to two tonnes of unsold clothing per day at Nairobi’s Gikomba Market—East Africa’s largest second-hand clothing hub—and recovers uniforms, off-cuts, and other materials. The next phase includes improving sorting processes and installing mechanical recycling equipment, to advance local fibre recovery and textile recycling.

So far, ACT has created over 120 direct and indirect jobs, mainly for women. Its long-term goal is to scale across the continent and create thousands of green jobs.

Towards a Truly Circular Fashion Future – Global EPR

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation is gaining momentum across both Europe and Africa. Such frameworks could help Global South nations build the infrastructure needed to process textile waste—and support global brands in meeting sustainability goals.

Clothing—biodegradable or not—should never end up in landfills, rivers, or oceans. The future of fashion must be circular, and, as so many items end up in Africa, it is poised to play a key role in this global transition.

Learn more at www.africacollecttextiles.com