Kenya's booming second-hand clothing trade, known locally as "mitumba," supports the livelihoods of about 2 million people and is one of Africa's largest second-hand clothing markets. However, the sheer scale of this trade is bringing a growing textile waste problem, raising concerns about bacteria, microplastics, and public health risks.

According to a recent letter published in the journal Science, more than 4.5 billion items of second-hand clothing are shipped to Africa each year. When local sorting systems are overwhelmed, many garments end up dumped in landfills or burned. Researchers warn that discarded textiles can become a "reservoir" for harmful bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella species, which are linked to diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and even sepsis.

A 2023 report estimated that Nairobi's largest landfill receives about 86 metric tonnes of textile waste every day. Discarded synthetic fabrics break down into microplastics, polluting the air and waterways. Studies have found that microplastics can carry pathogens and toxic chemicals, and may even promote the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Kenya has already passed the Sustainable Waste Management Act to address the textile waste problem, which encourages waste reduction, recycling, and extended producer responsibility (EPR), but researchers argue that importing countries should not bear this burden alone. Akshay Shah, outgoing board chairman of Kenya's EPR organization, proposed that the textile import industry should establish its own EPR mechanism: "Ultimately, retailers who benefit from textile sales need to bear the EPR costs." These fees could flow back to waste pickers and recyclers who handle discarded textiles.

The authors of the Science letter call on exporting countries to strengthen enforcement of international environmental laws, conduct stricter quality control before export, increase investment in waste management and recycling infrastructure in importing countries, and standardize the international definition of "second-hand goods." Industry experts say bacterial contamination can be addressed through inbound inspections and proper controls, but without stronger regulation in exporting countries, the environmental and public health costs of discarded clothing will continue to be shifted onto African countries.

Source: Does Kenya's second-hand clothes trade have public health risks? · Originally published on 2026-08-28