The United Nations International Day of Zero Waste, led jointly by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), “highlights the importance of bolstering waste management globally and the need to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns to address the waste pollution crisis.”

The 2025 theme focuses on waste reduction in the fashion and textile industries. Inspired by zero-waste initiatives outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this international observance promotes a “reduce, reuse, recycle” approach at consumer, governmental, and industrial levels to advance more sustainable practices in the sector.

This topic was addressed in a 2022 Global Ties San Francisco webinar, “Climate Change in Africa: Local and Global Implications,” featuring speakers from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the City and County of San Francisco Department of the Environment. The discussion explored how climate-related challenges manifest differently across regions and what local and global communities can learn from climate mitigation strategies attempted in Africa.

During the webinar, Aly Verjee, Senior Advisor to the Africa Center at USIP, reflected on the unintended consequences of clothing donations, emphasizing the importance of considering where these items ultimately go:

“When we put clothes in the donation bin, we think we’re doing a good thing, but perhaps inadvertently we are often just exporting our disposal problem elsewhere.”

Some donations are repurposed, but a large portion is exported to other countries, where local infrastructure may struggle to manage the influx of textile waste effectively. This can contribute to environmental challenges, including waste accumulation and emissions from incineration.

Reflecting on potential solutions, Verjee spoke not only to the need for systemic change in textile waste management but also individual responsibility in donating clothing thoughtfully and considering how the lifecycle of used clothing often extends beyond one’s local community. His remarks highlighted the broader implications of textile waste management and the interconnected nature of global consumption patterns.

Watch the webinar for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez10VD1czcE

^{Authors: Lily Langley & Alannah Crandall}