\n<\/p>\n
Ghana, located on the southern coast of West Africa, has more than 500 kilometers of coastline that arcs and juts into bays and points. Along this coast are a multitude of surf spots for those willing to brave the bumpy roads in to find hidden gems along its edges. This coast, with its centuries of aquatic history, is facing a lethal problem: textile waste.<\/p>\n
When people in the Western world donate clothes to charity, it feels like a solution to the problem of throwing out your old clothes. But, more often than not, in places like Europe, Australia, and the US, clothes donated to charity are exported to Africa where vendors can purchase bales of clothing at a low price and sell them in markets. Ghana imports about 15 million second-hand clothing items each week as part of this trade. But with the rise of fast fashion, the quality of these imports have decreased significantly, rendering almost half of them useless for resale. With nowhere further for their clothes to travel, they are dumped, ending up in waterways and along Ghana\u2019s beaches.<\/p>\n