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Transcript/ScriptFOR USAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Ghana Textile Waste (TV)
HEADLINE: Ghanaian Entrepreneur Recycles Textile Wastes into Shoes
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: Tuesday, 05/17/2022 3:15 pm
BYLINE: Senanu Tord
DATELINE: Takoradi, Ghana
VIDEOGRAPHER: Senanu Tord
VIDEO EDITOR:
PRODUCER: Rob Raffaele
SCRIPT EDITORS: BR, MAS
VIDEO SOURCE(S): VOA Original
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO X
TRT: 3:22
VID APPROVED BY: BR
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:
((INTRO))
[[Working to achieving sustainability in textile production is one of the projects of the UN Environment Programme for this year as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. In Ghana, an entrepreneur is supporting this agenda by recycling waste textiles and rubber into shoes. Senanu Tord has details from Takoradi, Ghana.]]
((NARRATOR))
Peter Anowie is a sustainable fashion innovator. He salvages waste textiles and used rubber from car tires to make shoes.
Anowie says his sustainable shoes contain about 75% to 100% recycled materials.
((Peter Anowie, Ghanian Entrepreneur (English, 26 secs))
“A typical 100 % recycled shoe from Koliko is made out of discarded jeans, woolen fabrics and used car tires. So, the discarded jeans, mostly is the outer part of the shoe, what we mostly see in the shoe. And also, the woolen fabric is what we use in lining our shoes and the sole is made out of discarded or used car tires to make the shoe more durable and very lasting.”
((NARRATOR))
Anowie gets his waste textiles from households and second-hand clothing markets.
Ghana has the largest second-hand clothing market in West Africa and is also the largest importer of these textiles, second only to Pakistan. Every week, about 15 million items of rags and used clothing from Europe and the U.S. are shipped to Ghana. But 40% of these items are not fit for use and harm the environment because they contain toxic chemicals and plastics.
When these rags are discarded, they produce harmful solid wastes, says an environmental official.
((Justin Tensogo, Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly Environmental Health Analyst (in English, 36 secs))
“What is left is thrown elsewhere so it ends up in our drains. In our bit to desilt these drains, we got to realize that the plastics complementing these fabrics is the result of the flooding we’ve been having in the metro. It is evident, anytime it rains, within an hour or two, within the central business district, you see that most of our drains are choked and there is flooding all over.”
((NARRATOR))
Anowie warns that Ghana’s drinking water is threatened by the dyes and chemicals from discarded clothes.
((Peter Anowie, Ghanian Entrepreneur (English ))
“According to research, textile waste is really taking over the world and if we don't stand out and do something more sustainable to bring this menace down, in some years to come, we wouldn't even have good drinking water.”
((NARRATOR))
Ghana’s textile industry has been growing significantly over the years and also generates waste, most of which is dumped in landfills.
Industry experts say while Ghana is making steady progress toward sustainable fashion, there is a huge deficit in awareness.
((Elizabeth Adams, Sustainable Fashion Designer (in English, 30 secs))
“The fashion industry, that is the designers, those who even create the fashion items should be educated on sustainable fashion from the beginning. Then we move on to the consumers who consume these products. So, if a consumer knows they are investing their hard-earned money into sustainable fashion items, they don't mind how expensive it is, they will go in for it.”
((NARRATOR))
Industry research suggests Ghana can become a leader in the circular textile economy because of the availability of a large labor force and huge quantities of second-hand clothing. It will be up to entrepreneurs like Peter Anowie to lead the way to this sustainable transformation.
((Senanu Tord, for VOA News, Takoradi, Ghana.))
NewsML Media TopicsEnvironment
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateMay 17, 2022 15:38 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
