The Impact of Fast Fashion: “Remix”?
Cover Image: Muntaka Chasant/ShutterstockGhana
Though Ghana may be “out of sight, out of mind” for the average American, specifically those living in cities, it certainly isn’t for those living in Accra, a city where the global north's fast fashion “goes to die”.
Visually represented in the remix above, there are piles upon piles of clothes imported to this beach in a single week, most of which will simply get moved and dumped somewhere else, once again: “out of sight, out of mind”. Because fast fashion textiles are so easily torn or ruined after one wear, most people will wear an item once, then donate or throw it out. But it doesn’t just magically disappear; it goes to places like Ghana, impacting the surrounding community.
Textile quality going downhill in the past five years has had a bigger impact on communities like Accra, the largest importer of used textiles, and where one of the biggest second hand clothing markets (Kantamanto) takes place. People buying from this market are getting what is essentially scraps for clothing. What doesn’t get bought at this market either gets burned, which releases toxic chemicals from microplastics that are more commonly found in textiles, or is dumped in a landfill in another part of Ghana, destroying natural life.
Chile
The Atacama Desert is the second biggest dumping ground for unwanted and unused textiles. Seen from space on satellite images, this pile continues to grow year after year with no government taking responsibility to clean it up. This pile of textiles could take over 100 years to biodegrade if it ever does. Unlike Ghana, Chile does not have an economy that relies on textile importation, and little is done to stop the dumping of clothing in this desert, but it directly impacts poorer communities with the burning of this clothing to get rid of the waste, which once again releases toxic smoke that reaches miles outside of the desert.
Why this matters to us
Imagine your home city becoming overrun with garments and textiles that are unusable. Fumes are being released every day for months, making it harder to breathe, causing health issues, and ruining the place you call home. This is a reality not just for those who live in Ghana and Chile, but many other countries and cities on our Earth. Most of us reading this blog are fortunate enough to live in or around a city where we do not have to see or “deal” with this kind of waste, but it’s real. Ghana, Chile, and countless other countries are part of our home too. Their culture should be able to flourish like cities like Boston or New York City, with its beautiful mix of people from all over the world.
Our ignorance has been an issue for decades, and it’s time we call attention to the disintegration of our Earth, starting with the simple act of awareness.
SOURCES - ARTICLE Zea, Tibisay. “Fast fashion is causing an environmental disaster in Chile’s Atacama Desert.” The World, 1 Nov. 2022, https://theworld.org/stories/2022/11/01/fast-fashion-causing-environmental-disaster-chiles-atacama-desert Sources- Video RemixLorde. “Lorde - Buzzcut Season.” YouTube, uploaded by Lorde, 15 Nov. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pstVCGyaUBM&list=RDpstVCGyaUBM&start_radio=1 PBS News. “Ghana becomes dumping ground for the world's unwanted used clothes.” YouTube, uploaded by PBS NewsHour, 18 Nov. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uou_223HFns Josephine Phillips, “The simple solution to fast fashion.” YouTube, uploaded by TED, 22 Sept. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh8dnw67rE0 DW News. “Mountains of dumped clothes pile up in Chile's Atacama Desert | DW News.” YouTube, uploaded by DW News, 17 Dec. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf4NVo6_8Z0 Rowdy Sis. “HUGE Summer SHEIN Haul *unboxing & try on*.” YouTube, uploaded by Rowdy Sis, 27 Jun. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZNb0Jwiu7c Lowkey.Sophie. “shein try on haul!!.” YouTube Shorts, uploaded by sophieee.yatesss, 27 Mar. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kI1z8B8tzrk Emma Jordyn. “SUMMER SHEIN HAUL!.” YouTube Shorts, uploaded by emmajordynn, 21 May 2025, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CJzUfj-5jFQ CBS News. “Breaking down the enormous impact of fast fashion.” YouTube, uploaded by CBS News, 28 Mar. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTsBsSd_HeQ ABC News. “How fast fashion is impacting the planet — and what can be done about it.” YouTube, uploaded by ABC News, 23 Apr. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swtDAwRgFXU News Central TV. “Exploring Ghana's Diverse Culture.” YouTube, uploaded by News Central TV, 13 Mar. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r-WQeHnRF0 “Boston, Massachusetts, USA 🇺🇸 in 4k Ultra HD Drone Video.” YouTube, uploaded by Dronography, 30 Oct. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zni7NgRblEY WCVB News. “Boston Marathon runner crawls across finish line after collapsing on Boylston Street.” YouTube, uploaded by WCVB Channel 5 Boston, 21 Apr. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uTXK4sOaUQ “Chile Travel: Culture and Tradition Patagonia - Open Nature.” YouTube, uploaded by Chile Travel, 14 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBA1GGLsnEs “Chile 4K - Scenic Relaxation Film With Calming Music.” YouTube, uploaded by Scenic Relaxation, 18 Sept. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2-LUK_vmOA
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