Trashion: The stealth export of waste plastic clothes to Kenya

Changing Markets

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Abstract: When discarded,the overwhelming majority of clothing becomes waste. The modern fashion industry?s obsession with growth without consideration for the end of life of its products has resulted in systemic overproduction. Fashion brands have also promulgated a narrative that it is acceptable,and even encouraged,to purchase an ever-updating array of new clothing,and their marketing ? from partnerships with influencers and the creation of micro-seasons and trends,to so-called ?dark patterns? on e-commerce sites that pressure consumers to checkout ? have created an overconsumption craze. Overproduction and overconsumption in the fashion industry feed each other in a never-ending loop,the product of which is untenable volumes of waste clothing.