Story by Paul Mensah Nsor
Reclaim Textile Network (RTN) Ghana marked its first anniversary with a call for coordinated action to tackle the country’s growing textile-waste crisis and unlock economic opportunities from discarded garments.
At the anniversary event, Dr. Christiana Konamah Okai-Mensah, CEO of RTN Ghana, highlighted the environmental and social toll of textile waste—from overflowing landfills and polluted waterways to microfibers in the environment—and framed waste as a missed opportunity for jobs, creativity and dignity.
“What we are throwing away is also opportunity: opportunity for jobs, opportunity for creativity, opportunity for dignity,” Dr. Okai-Mensah said. She described RTN’s founding as a direct response to seeing textile waste piled in markets and public spaces, and to asking why useful materials were being discarded instead of repurposed.
In its first year, RTN reports engaging more than 4,000 students and over 400 community members in programs that train participants to transform textile waste into saleable products and livelihoods. Trainees have begun producing school bags, accessories and other items that generate income while promoting reuse and local entrepreneurship.
“This is only the beginning,” Dr. Okai-Mensah said, noting that the scope of the problem exceeds RTN’s capacity and requires broader participation from industry, institutions and government.
Dr. Okai-Mensah urged manufacturers and retailers to stop discarding usable textile waste and to partner with organizations like RTN. She called on educational institutions to integrate sustainability and circular-economy principles into curricula for young people and appealed to government and stakeholders to develop policies that support circular systems that create jobs and protect the environment.
“If we do nothing, waste will continue to define our future,” she warned. “But if we act together we can reclaim it—we can reclaim value, we can reclaim livelihood, we can reclaim our environment.”
Speaking at the event, Linda Yaa Ampah, CEO of Cadling Fashions and KAD Manufacturing Limited highlighted the creativity and innovation emerging from Ghana’s textile value chain, particularly among youth and persons with disabilities who are transforming used clothing and fabric scraps into marketable products. “Of the so-called garbage that we have, and monetizing it by that I mean the scraps we have, the used clothings that are sent down to Ghana and other African countries — we can make use of it, we can monetize it, we can be creative in the way we present it to make it attractive to others,” she said.
Ampah applauded government efforts to prioritize local sourcing, saying the policy is a major opportunity for local manufacturers. However, she warned that delayed payments for government contracts threaten the survival of smaller producers. “We are very, very excited about that. However, we are also pleading that payment of such products should come in faster than usual, because sometimes the delay in the payment can actually shut down businesses in our sector,” she said, noting that many firms operate without large credit lines and rely on internal resources.
To sustain growth and scale social impact, Ampah proposed fiscal and operational support measures for companies that take on and train young people. “Having young people in our factories is quite expensive, so a little bit of support on their end will be helpful,” she said, recommending tax incentives and other cushions to reduce the financial burden on employers.
RTN Ghana’s anniversary highlights the potential of community-led circular initiatives to address environmental degradation while creating employment and skills. Organizers say scaling these efforts will require cross-sector partnerships—policy support, private-sector engagement on waste management, and expanded education and training.
As RTN enters its second year, its central message is both urgent and pragmatic: the question is no longer whether textile waste can be turned into value, but whether stakeholders will choose to act. “If you continue to waste, we will bury our future,” Dr. Okai-Mensah said. “But if you choose to reclaim, you will build it.”
For more information on Reclaim Textile Network Ghana and its programs, visit the organization’s website or contact its team through event materials.
