Summary: On October 2, 2026, four global fashion companies—H&M Group, Inditex, BESTSELLER, and adidas—jointly launched the Apparel Recovery Coalition (ARC) at the Kantamanto second-hand clothing market in Accra, Ghana. With collaboration from The Or Foundation and Circle Economy serving as independent coordinator, the initiative plans to spend two years developing and testing a cross-border producer responsibility framework. The first demonstration project will assess how producer responsibility fees can support Ghana's existing circular textile economy.

Key Points

  • Coalition members are H&M Group, Inditex, BESTSELLER, and adidas, with The Or Foundation collaborating and Circle Economy as independent coordinator
  • The Kantamanto market recirculates approximately 25 million garments per month, supporting tens of thousands of workers and entrepreneurs
  • ARC will develop a cross-border producer responsibility framework over the next two years, with the first project focusing on the role of producer responsibility fees in Ghana's circular textile economy

Why Launch at Kantamanto

The launch location was chosen at the Kantamanto market in Accra, a core hub for second-hand clothing reuse, repair, and upcycling in Ghana, and one of the main destinations for large volumes of exported used clothing. According to information provided by the coalition, approximately 25 million garments re-enter circulation at this market each month, providing income for tens of thousands of workers and entrepreneurs. At the same time, the market's massive scale of trade brings the environmental and social issues of post-consumer textiles to the forefront—concerns such as waste accumulation and water and soil pollution have long persisted.

Market Expectations

At the launch ceremony, Reverend Opoku Afreh, chairman of KOBA (Kantamanto Obroniwawu Businesses Association), a joint organization of Kantamanto market zone leaders, stated that the knowledge, skills, and resilience this community has accumulated over decades should be the starting point for ARC, not something to be replaced. He called for the project to bring infrastructure, investment, and business development opportunities so that traders and other workers can improve their livelihoods and strengthen sustainable practices.

Representing the Office of the President of Ghana, Deputy Spokesperson Shamima Muslim delivered remarks on behalf of Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, saying that holding the launch ceremony at Kantamanto was particularly meaningful because it put brands face-to-face with communities affected by the global second-hand clothing trade. She described it as an important step in recognizing the role communities like Kantamanto play in sustaining clothing circularity.

Gifty Anderson, secretary of the Kantamanto Women's Association, pointed out that decisions in the fashion industry are often made outside the communities that bear the consequences. She welcomed the companies' on-the-ground visit, believing that understanding frontline challenges is a prerequisite for finding solutions.

How the Two-Year Framework Will Be Developed

According to the plan, ARC will develop and test a producer responsibility framework that incorporates the cross-border movement of garments over two years. Participants will include fashion companies, producer responsibility organizations, clothing sorters, recycling enterprises, policymakers, and communities affected by the second-hand clothing trade. The first demonstration project will examine: Can producer responsibility fee mechanisms help make Ghana's existing circular textile economy more robust?

The project will also build on The Or Foundation's 15 years of work in Ghana's circular textile ecosystem, and is expected to continue advancing Kantamanto infrastructure improvements, environmental remediation, and training programs in Accra.

What It Means for the Industry

Four multinational brands are taking extended producer responsibility (EPR) to a second-hand clothing export destination for piloting, rather than discussing it only within Europe. This could provide a "receiving-country on-the-ground version" sample for cost-sharing mechanisms in the global second-hand clothing trade. Local sorters, repairers, and upcyclers in Ghana are also, for the first time in such frameworks, being placed in seats at the main negotiating table. For Chinese companies on the export and sorting ends, the results of this test may influence future rule-writing and cost structures for cross-border second-hand clothing.

Source: Global fashion firms launch second-hand clothing recovery coalition in Ghana | Ghana News Agency · Originally published 2026-10-02