Kenya, a final destination for fast fashion, is overwhelmed by secondhand clothing

Africa Collect Textiles was cited in Le Monde for providing a model of hope amid this flood of waste. By collecting salvaged yet unsellable textiles locally, even from Gikomba vendors, we repurpose and upcycle them into products like uniforms, rugs, and bags. This isn’t just recycling, it’s cultivating livelihoods and local craftsmanship in a circular economy.

Why This Matters—and What Needs to Change

This article reminds us that Kenya is at the frontline of textile pollution. Yet, solutions cannot come from within alone. For real transformation, there must be shared accountability between exporting brands, global regulators, and recipient communities. ACT is part of a broader ecosystem of change—providing scalable systems of collection, sorting, upcycling, and advocacy, all while pushing for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks to ensure brands pay their fair share.