Trade Governance and the Externalisation of Textile Waste: The cases of Ghana and Chile

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines how the global trade in second-hand clothing contributes to the externalisation of textile waste from the Global North to the Global South, focusing on the cases of Ghana and Chile. While second-hand clothing exports are often framed as a sustainable practice within circular economy models, a significant proportion of imported garments rapidly becomes waste, generating socio-environmental burdens in receiving countries. Drawing on political ecology, discard studies, and environmental justice, the study explores how trade governance structures and historical inequalities shape these uneven outcomes. Using a comparative case study approach, it analyses how legal classifications, regulatory gaps, and weak enforcement enable low-quality textiles to circulate as reusable clothing. Findings show that the environmental and social costs of textile waste are disproportionately borne by informal workers, vulnerable communities, and local ecosystems. The thesis concludes by evaluating existing governance frameworks and proposing reforms to improve accountability and promote a more equitable distribution of responsibility within global textile value chains.