Waste Colonialism from the Global North to the Global South

When we talk about colonialism, most people think of resource extraction or political domination. But in today’s world, a different form of waste colonialism is taking place. High-income countries of the Global North are exporting their waste, from textiles to e-waste, to the Global South. Mountains of textile waste are piling up in African landfills and deserts in South America. In Accra, Ghana, entire beaches are buried under clothing waste. In Chile’s Atacama Desert, textile dumps are visible from space. They pollute the local ecosystems and overwhelm waste systems that were never designed for this scale.

What Is Waste Colonialism?

Waste colonialism refers to the unfair dumping of waste from wealthier nations onto developing countries. It is a system where the Global North benefits from consumption, while the Global South is made responsible for carrying the environmental injustice and social burden of the waste.

This often happens under the pretence of second-hand donations, but in reality, much of what arrives cannot be reused because of its poor quality. Instead, it piles up in landfills and harms communities that lack the infrastructure to manage such waste safely.

Countries from North America, Europe, and others generate massive amounts of waste daily. Instead of dealing with it at home, where strict regulations make disposal expensive, they ship it out. By doing this, they save money and maintain their image as clean and green.

E-waste from developed countries, such as old laptops, phones, and appliances, regularly lands in countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and India, where informal workers dismantle them under unsafe conditions.

Textile waste from the fast fashion industry is exported in bulk to countries like Kenya, with 450 million of these items, 1,000 tonnes of poor-quality clothes per week in Ghana, and 39,000 tonnes illegally dumped in the desert in Chile, where most of it is unusable and ends up in dumps or burning sites.

The Burden on the Global South

The receiving countries in the Global South faces serious health, environmental, and economic problems because of this waste. People living near dump sites often breathe in toxic smoke from burning plastic and are exposed to harmful chemicals and heavy metals, which can cause serious illnesses. The environment also suffers, as rivers and oceans become filled with plastic waste, and dangerous chemicals pollute the soil and groundwater. On top of that, local businesses are hurt when poor-quality second-hand goods flood the market. 

A Continuation of Colonial Patterns

Echoing old colonial logics of extraction and exploitation, today the Global North enjoys the freedom to consume endlessly, and the Global South is forced to deal with the fallout, managing the waste and environmental damage that follows.

Moving away from exploitative trade and recognizing waste colonialism as an environmental injustice is very important. Until the Global North stops treating the Global South as a dumping ground, the cycle of inequality continues, only this time under the cover of pretended aid and recycling.