A mother, a sustainable fashion writer, often debates with her 12-year-old daughter, Evie, about buying fast fashion from brands like Shein. During a trip to Ghana, they witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of discarded fast fashion on Jamestown Beach in Accra. Ghana imports 15 million secondhand garments weekly, much of which ends up as unsellable waste. With limited waste management infrastructure, clothing waste litters beaches and harms marine life. The author and her children joined the Or Foundation's cleanup efforts, collecting clothing labels to track brands responsible for this "waste colonialism." Despite brands' sustainability claims, the overproduction of low-quality garments continues to fuel the problem. The experience led Evie to reconsider her views on fast fashion, providing a tangible lesson on overconsumption and waste.
