UN study backs African used clothing trade

LONDON – A major new UN-backed study has challenged claims that Africa’s booming second-hand clothing (SHC) trade is primarily a conduit for rich nations’ textile waste, claiming that the overwhelming majority of garments imported into Uganda and Tanzania are re-wearable.

The study also documents how SHC underpins affordability and employment in least developed importing countries. In Uganda, where average daily income is put at $2.68, the report estimates that a new garment can cost up to six days’ disposable income, compared with 1.56 days for a typical second-hand item priced at $2.70.