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- For Uganda, upcycling waste textiles could create green jobs, with novice tailors earning US$4.6 per day and professionals making up to US$17.9 per day.
- However, to fully realize this opportunity, policy support, and investment in recycling infrastructure is vital.
- Equally, stakeholder collaboration will be crucial for transitioning Uganda towards a circular textile economy.
In the heart of Kampala, Owino Market thrives as Uganda’s largest second-hand clothing hub, welcoming thousands of traders and customers daily. While this trade powers the local economy, it also generates significant textile waste, contributing up to 48 tonnes of waste daily.
With most discarded textiles ending up in landfills, burned, or informally repurposed, a growing movement is seeking solutions—one that could turn waste into wealth. Can this initiative in Uganda be mapped onto other economies across the East African Community (EAC) where the trade in second-hand clothing is a booming business?
A recent study by WasteAid, …
- Uganda’s booming second-hand clothing market supports thousands of livelihoods but generates massive textile waste, with up to 48 tonnes discarded daily, most of it ending up in landfills.
- While informal waste collectors and tailors repurpose some textiles, the country lacks structured recycling systems, exacerbating environmental challenges.
- The Uganda Circular Textiles Project presents a solution by promoting upcycling and a circular textile economy, which could create green jobs, reduce waste, and attract investment in sustainable fashion.
In Uganda’s Owino market, one has to muscle their way as stalls overflow with piles of second-hand clothing, with traders out-shouting each other to win bargain-hunters looking for affordable fashion.
From trendy jeans to branded jackets, the market offers a vast selection at prices that fit virtually every pocket. At the moment, Uganda is one of Africa’s largest importers of second-hand clothing, bringing in 80 million kilograms in 2023 alone, generating US$70.85 million in tax …