Although it sounds kind to send unwanted goods to developing countries, places like Africa don’t want them. Apart from quality working bicycles. These provide free transport to reach school and work (remove dirt, grease, mud and stickers).
But recycling household or business waste to Africa often creates more problems in a continent with few landfills or sewage systems. The electronics industry also tends to send unwanted goods here, as it saves them money on recycling them officially.
Africa Does Not Want ‘Dead Man’s White Clothes’
Each week, the African country of Ghana receives 15 million items of used clothing, often sent from western richer countries. But almost half are discarded due to being poor quality (paint-stained overalls etc). And also made with synthetic fibres (polyester, nylon, recycled plastic bottles) that never break down.
So they just end up landfills and water bodies, and cause more pollution. Ghana is even now receiving umpteen unwanted ‘junk cars’ that nobody wants (including their citizens).
Don’t Send Plastic Feminine Care to Africa
Some feminine care brands ask us to donate plastic disposable tampons and pads to ‘poor girls in Africa’, so they can spend more time in school studying. But due to lack of sewage networks, they end up polluting waterways. And on a continent ravaged by HIV and AIDS, sending feminine care that could be shared (due to poverty) is not a good idea.
Far more empowering is to support Afripads, a Ugandan social enterprise where local men are given skilled jobs to make reusable pads made from papyrus leaves, which keeps girls in school (sold in over 40 countries).
The President of The Philippines recently sent back tonnes of rubbish to Canada, saying he would ‘sail to Canada and dump the garbage back there again’, if it got sent back. Canada has now agreed to cover cost of disposal.
