Ghana Becomes Dumping Ground for the World’s Unwanted Used Clothes
Ask students: How many people across the globe are estimated to earn a living in the "global waste industry?" What is the global waste industry, according to this segment?
An estimated 20 million people are thought to earn their livelihoods in the global waste industry by collecting, disposing, repairing or repurposing a wide range of materials and products. However, the cost and consequences of handling waste are borne far more heavily in developing nations. In partnership with the Pulitzer Center, Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on the impact of waste from textiles.
View the transcript of the story.
Discussion Questions
- How many people across the globe are estimated to earn livings in the "global waste industry"?
- What is the global waste industry, according to this segment?
- Where is Ghana? (You can use this map to help locate it)
- Why has Ghana become a "dumping ground" for unwanted used clothes?
- What happens with used clothes that aren't bought by shoppers in Ghana?
Focus Questions
What do you think might be a responsible way to dispose of used clothes so that they don't end up in landfills or the oceans? Are there other way they could be reused or recycled?
Media literacy: Why do you think this story focuses on the impact on one country (Ghana) if the problem described is a global one?
Extension Activity
What can your community do to reduce the waste of used clothes? Make a list of creative ways you think used clothes could be reused or recycled so that they don't end up in the oceans and landfills. Are there different solutions for plastic and organic materials in clothes?
Watch the following video on ways to reuse non-recyclable materials. Do any of the strategies mentioned apply to clothes?
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS NewsHour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of NewsHour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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