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Ghanaians are battling the global fast-fashion industry by reselling discarded Western clothing in ‘vintage’ sales.

In Accra, the capital of Ghana, young men and women can be seen trading for Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead and tie-dye T-shirts, surplus army jackets and Adidas sneakers.

The founders of Vintage Gala – Prince Quist and James Edem Doe Darey – said they had brought together a movement of young fashion enthusiasts to encourage their peers to buy second-hand.

Prince, 23, said: “When you wear clothes that were made in the past… you help the environment by not using the raw materials and other things that go into making new clothes.”

James, also 23, added: “The idea is just to inspire everyone to cut back on vintage, because second-hand things are not second-rate things.

“Vintage shopping makes recycling even better.”

Ghana receives about 15 million used garments from Western countries and China every week. Items are unloaded in bulk, often at negligible prices and questionable quality.

Ghana receives about 15 million used garments from Western countries and China every week (Photo: Reuters)

James Dartey, 23, a fashion retailer, displays second-hand clothes for sale at a vintage clothing gala in Accra, Ghana on Dec. 20, 2022. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko

James Dartey, a fashion retailer, displays second-hand clothes for sale at a vintage clothing gala (Photo: Reuters)

According to the US-based Or Foundation, about 40% of products end up in huge urban landfills.

However, for several hours each week, Prince and James scour Kantamanto, one of Africa’s largest clothing markets, a few hours before dawn, looking for gems to resell on Instagram pages.

They believe that buying second-hand not only helps to reduce the environmental impact of fashion, but also allows them and their customers to express unique styles, regardless of current trends.

People buy second-hand clothes at a vintage gala in Accra, Ghana on December 20, 2022. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko

The founders of the Vintage Gala encourage their colleagues to shop secondhand (Photo: Reuters)

A customer inspects used shoes at the Kantamanto market in Accra, Ghana, Nov. 30, 2022. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko

Young people trade for Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead and tie-dye t-shirts (Photo: Reuters)

Their message is simple: buy second hand, make a difference.

“Get rid of the idea that you only wear vintage if you’re poor or that you only wear secondhand if you don’t have money,” said creation Myra Davis outside the Vintage Gala event.

“It’s been here for years. Why produce more when you have more than enough available?”

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