2d-hand clothes (SHC) is stimulating billions of bucks in GDP contributions and supporting masses of 1000’s of inexperienced jobs throughout Europe and Africa, a untouched document from Oxford Economics unearths these days.

OXFORD, England, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The document The Socio-Financial Have an effect on of 2d-Hand Garments in Africa and the EU27+ unearths that the sphere – an important property of a month round textile financial system – stimulated an estimated general €7 billion ($7.6 billion)  general contribution to the EU and UK’s (EU27+) GDP in 2023, of which the sphere generated €3.0 billion ($3.2 billion) itself. In Germany and the United Kingdom isolated, the business contributed €670 million ($720 million) and €420 million ($450 million) to GDP respectively.

In 2023, the sphere supported an estimated 150,000 jobs within the EU27+. Of those 110,000 had been inexperienced jobs without delay within the business, with alternatives in particular for public with minute formal schooling. 8 out of 10 (79%) of the body of workers had been ladies, and lots of office alternatives had been created in lower-income nations reminiscent of Bulgaria, Romania and Poland.

This document is the primary complete research of the sphere’s whole price chain and an struggle to quantify the sphere’s socio-economic affects throughout two continents. It  addresses current wisdom gaps, providing insights that had been in the past unavailable at this scale, that specialize in the EU27+ and Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique.

The SHC sector’s good fortune is dependent upon a well-established price chain between the World North and the World South, producing financial price and inexperienced jobs at every degree. The sphere bridges international provide and insist by means of successfully channelling worn clothes from the World North to the World South, the place call for for inexpensive, feature clothes continues to develop, making sure that clothes remains in flow, serving to to satisfy state objectives and offer protection to the order. The sphere additionally contributes to poverty alleviation by means of developing office and entrepreneurship alternatives for many who may differently be unemployed or underemployed, enabling public to aid dependents.

In Ghana, second-hand clothes from the EU27+ contributed an estimated $76 million to the rustic’s GDP (of which $35 million used to be direct), supporting 65,000  formal and casual jobs in 2023. That very same while, $17 million used to be contributed to Kenya’s GDP ($9.2 million without delay) and $10.7 million to Mozambique’s ($2.7 million without delay). There have been 6,300 public in Kenya’s formal body of workers and a minimum of 68,000 operating informally. In Mozambique, 5,700 formal jobs had been supported and a minimum of 15,000 casual jobs.

As much as 47% of imported second-hand clothes to Ghana used to be from the EU27+ extreme while. This compares to Mozambique’s direct imports from EU27+ accounting for 18% and Kenya’s 13% (now not together with imports arriving by way of middleman nations). Simplest in Ghana are SHC imports from the EU27+ rising. In Kenya and Mozambique, age general SHC imports keep growing, the EU percentage is falling.

The document used to be commissioned by means of Humana Public to Public and Sympany+.

Karina Bolin, President of Humana Public to Public Italy and Bulgaria, stated: “This report highlights the immense potential of the second-hand clothing sector to drive sustainable economic growth and create green jobs across continents. Now, more than ever, it is essential for policymakers to recognise the value of this industry and provide the legislative support and investment needed to unlock its full potential as a central factor for building a more resilient, circular economy that benefits both people and the planet.”

Johanna Neuhoff from Oxford Economics stated: “Second-hand clothing is often overlooked in the broader debate on sustainable development, yet this report clearly shows its economic power. By keeping clothes in circulation and creating green jobs in both Europe and Africa, the sector delivers significant economic and social benefits. Our findings underscore the need for policies that support and strengthen this circular industry – ensuring it continues to serve as a bridge between environmental sustainability and inclusive economic growth.”

The document displays that with out the fitting regulatory framework, this inexperienced and sustainable sector dangers shedding its aggressive edge to speedy type production giants like China, which proceed to dominate international textile markets generating untouched, less expensive, degrade feature clothes, at a plenty environmental value.

Discussions at EU stage to finalise amends to the Misspend Framework Directive, which impacts the second-hand garments business, are because of begin next this moment. This document urges resolution makers all for those discussions to aid textile reuse operators. With obligatory distant textile assortment getting into drive around the EU in January 2025, it’s crucial for those discussions to start out and succeed in a trade in unexpectedly, offering sure bet to the sphere.

If steps don’t seem to be taken to support the EU’s SHC sector, its good fortune in supporting Ecu inexperienced coverage objectives, nationwide state objectives in Africa and the Sustainable Building Targets, in particular round poverty, ladies’s inclusion and accountable intake, might be undermined.

ABOUT OXFORD ECONOMICS
Oxford Economics used to be based in 1981 as a business project with Oxford College’s industry faculty to serve financial forecasting and modelling to UK corporations and monetary establishments increasing out of the country. Since after, we have now turn out to be probably the most international’s important isolated international advisory companies, offering reviews, forecasts, and analytical equipment on greater than 200 nations, 100 industries, and eight,000 towns and areas. Oxford Economics is a key assistant to company, monetary and govt decision-makers and concept leaders.

https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/

ABOUT HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
Humana Public to Public is a Federation of 29 isolated associations all for humanitarian and sustainable construction actions. Individuals of the Federation Humana Public to Public are energetic in 46 nations in Africa, Asia and Central and South The united states. 
In Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, contributors of the Federation Humana Public to Public function a mixture of second-hand clothes sorting centres, wholesale retailers and retail stores which are run as social enterprises. The proceeds from the sale of garments and sneakers are invested in social construction initiatives in every nation. In 2023, Humana Public to Public’s international second-hand clothes operations fasten over $31.6 million in construction investment.

https://www.humana.org/

ABOUT SYMPANY+
Sympany+ is a Dutch non-governmental group (NGO) devoted to sustainable textile circularity. The group makes a speciality of making a closed-loop gadget for post-consumer textiles thru diverse initiatives and analysis tasks. Moreover, Sympany+ guarantees that every one operating situations inside their initiatives adhere to OECD pointers.

https://www.sympany.nl/

Photograph – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2525567/Europe.jpg

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