The criticism of the west for used clothing exports by Dr Karen Shah, who lectures in fashion design, comes just weeks after a meeting of East African Ministers who have been discussing a ban on imports of used clothing into the region.
East Africa is an important end market for UK textiles recyclers.
Dr Shah, working in collaboration with Tanzanian PhD student Charles Kahabi, has unveiled plans to develop a new recycling-based clothing industry, through manufacturing new garments from discarded textiles.
The senior lecturer told letsrecycle.com: “We are putting some skills back into the community as indigenous skills are being lost – it is important to re-introduce traditional techniques such as patchwork and tailoring back into communities.”
In August, Dr Shah and Mr Kahabi are to travel to Tanzania and hold workshops in order to help reinstate lost indigenous skills.
Summit
Last month, Ministers of the East African Communities (EAC), consisting of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda, announced their intention to ban imports of used clothing from 2019 following discussion at the 17th Summit of EAC Heads of State held in Tanzania.
The summit highlighted the aim of the East African leaders to develop an indigenous clothing industry. An official memorandum after the summit noted the leaders were: “Desirous of promoting vertically integrated industries in the textile and leather sector”.
And, the summit directed partner states to “procure their textile and footwear requirements from within the region”, and promote East Africa as a region where “quality and supply capacities are available competitively – with a view to phasing out importation of used textile and footwear within three years”.
Giving a UK perspective, Alan Wheeler, director of the Textiles Recycling Association said that EAC countries account for about 10% of the UK’s export market and the association is lobbying over the potential ban.
Subscribe for free