Addressing Fashion and Textile Waste Through Sustainable Water and Waste Management

Every year, the world reflects on International Day of Zero Waste. This year, the day is themed “Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles.” The theme for this year’s International Day will focus on the circular economy, especially on the urgency of addressing waste in one of the most polluting industries globally. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that the fashion and textile industry are responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions and 20% of global wastewater production.

Globally, over 92 million tons of textile waste are generated annually, with only 12% being recycled. In Kenya, the influx of second-hand clothing, commonly known as “mitumba,” contributes to significant textile waste, much of which ends up in landfills or as environmental pollutants. In 2021, the European Union alone sent 22.5 million kilograms of clothing, totaling more than 112 million individual items, to Kenya. This constitutes only a fraction of the immense volume of clothing discarded annually, which amounts to 5.8 billion kilograms or roughly 11 kilograms per person.

Furthermore, the water-intensive nature of textile production further increases Kenya’s existing water scarcity issues. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that it takes 7,500 liters of water to produce a single pair of jeans—enough to meet one person’s drinking water needs for seven years (UNEP, 2019).

 This issue is deeply intertwined with climate justice, as waste mismanagement disproportionately affects vulnerable communities that often live near landfills and polluted water sources. Low-income urban populations in Kenya, particularly women, youth, and marginalized groups, bear the brunt of textile waste pollution, experiencing health risks from exposure to chemicals and microplastics in water sources. Addressing waste in fashion is about environmental sustainability, human rights, equity, and justice for communities that suffer from the impacts of unsustainable consumption and production.

A shift towards sustainable practices in the fashion industry must prioritize the five R’s—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle. Governments, businesses, and consumers all have a role to play in refusing to support unsustainable fast fashion models, reducing textile waste through efficient production and extended product life cycles, reusing materials through circular fashion initiatives, repurposing discarded textiles into new products, and recycling fibers to minimize virgin material use. The concept of climate justice demands that policies and interventions center the voices of those most affected, ensuring that sustainable fashion transitions create economic opportunities for artisans, small-scale designers, and waste management entrepreneurs, particularly those in the informal sector who rely on textile waste for their livelihoods.

Traditional African clothing has long embodied sustainable practices, utilizing natural fibers and eco-friendly dyes. For instance, Ghana’s kente cloth is woven from locally sourced cotton or silk and colored with dyes derived from plants and minerals. Similarly, Mali’s bogolanfini, or mud cloth, is crafted from hand-spun cotton and dyed with fermented mud, a method that is both environmentally friendly and culturally significant. These time-honored techniques highlight a deep-rooted commitment to environmental stewardship within African textile traditions.

In Kenya and across Africa, indigenous communities have long practiced zero-waste fashion. The Maasai shuka, a vibrant and durable fabric, is passed down through generations, repurposed into different forms without waste. The Barkcloth of Uganda, made from the inner bark of Mutuba trees, is an eco-friendly fabric used for centuries, requiring no harmful dyes or synthetic materials. These traditions embody what the modern world now calls “circular fashion”—where nothing is discarded, and everything has a purpose. Contemporary African designers are building upon this heritage by integrating sustainable materials and ethical production methods into modern fashion. In Morocco, the brand Zoubida repurposes deadstock fabrics to create unique garments, reducing waste and promoting local craftsmanship.

For instance, in Uganda, designer Sarah Nakisanze incorporates indigenous materials like bark cloth into eco-friendly designs, collaborating with artisanal communities to preserve traditional skills. These initiatives not only honor cultural heritage but also address environmental concerns, positioning African fashion as a leader in sustainable innovation.

Recent African fashion events like Lagos Fashion Week’s “Green Access” program, Johannesburg Eco Fashion Week, Ethiopia’s Hub of Africa Fashion Week, and Ghana’s Made in Africa Fashion show what has been at the forefront of sustainable fashion, promoting upcycling, ethical sourcing, and indigenous textile preservation. Building on this, the Nairobi Fashion Week 2025, under the theme “We are the ancestors”, emphasized sustainability and ecological responsibility in the fashion industry. We ought to support initiatives like this, which show how African fashion merges cultural heritage with modern eco-friendly practices while driving global conversations on responsible design.

There is a need  for global awareness on the  nexus between textiles , waste management and water management.  Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) joined other partners to  implement the project entitled “Strengthening Civil Society Engagement for a Just and Sustainable Urbanization (SCEJU)”.

This project further underscores the significance of sustainability by equipping young activists with knowledge and digital tools to advocate for improved waste and water management practices. It aims to train 3,000 digital advocates from Nairobi, Kisumu, and Makueni, empowering them to influence urban policies and promote sustainable practices in water and waste management. Through its free digital courses, the program imparts knowledge about Kenya’s waste and water systems, essential policies, and environmental challenges, in addition to providing digital advocacy skills to leverage social media, blogs, and videos for awareness campaigns. Furthermore, it offers engagement tools to mobilize communities and collaborate with stakeholders. Young activists can advocate for policies that not only enhance waste management but also support local textile makers and inclusive economic models benefiting waste pickers and urban poor communities.

The Sustainable Waste Management module within the SCEJU e-learning platform empowers participants with an understanding of waste management principles and strategies to minimize waste through the five R’s. It offers insights into Kenya’s Sustainable Waste Management Act of 2022 and policies for a circular economy while equipping learners with practical skills to address waste challenges and advocate for sustainable urbanization. Similarly, the e-learning course educates learners on water conservation, pollution control, and climate-resilient water policies, complementing the efforts to reduce the environmental footprint. Water justice is a critical component of climate justice, as many textile production processes pollute and deplete already scarce water sources, further marginalizing communities that struggle to access clean water.

Fashion brands must adopt circular economy principles by integrating recycling and waste reduction into their supply chains. Policies such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) should be enforced to hold manufacturers accountable for post-consumer waste. Promoting ethical purchasing decisions and upcycling initiatives at the consumer level can significantly diminish textile waste. By supporting digital advocacy initiatives like SCEJU’s free courses, we can empower young leaders to drive the change necessary for a sustainable urban future. This ensures that waste in fashion and textiles is considerably reduced while also addressing systemic inequalities that have long marginalized communities in sustainable development.

Author: Faith Matasha, PACJA