Mitumba Trading

Ever wonder what happens to your clothes after you donate them?

I recently stumbled upon this interesting “Witness Special” documentary on Mitumba trading. Mitumba in Swahili means "bundles", which represents the packages of used clothing that are wrapped in plastic and then shipped off to countries in need. This documentary just shows how globalization links different countries together even more than you would have thought!

Recycled clothing in Africa is not about ecology; it is more about a necessity. For example, the documentary states that another popular recycling method is making shoes out of used tires. However, these shoes are mainly fabricated for the African people and are rarely sold to western consumers. This needs explanation: why are they doing this? Is it for themselves or western consumers?

In Africa, recycled clothing is also considered a luxury. The consumers of Mitumba enjoy the fact that they can wear brand name products such as Nike at reasonable prices. Mitumba has brought Western styles to Africa and people like to buy “Mitumba clothing” because they feel as though they are the only one’s wearing that specific article of clothing.

Mitumba trading has helped lots of African countries economically since it generates many jobs. Mitumba trading has helped many Westernized countries recycle their waste while giving to someone in need. However, currently, many under-developed countries are finding it cheaper to buy “western” clothing straight from China instead of buying second-hand “Mitumba clothing.” The problem is, if the African population stops purchasing recycled products and starts purchasing only new products, will that create even more waste that our environment will have to deal with? What will the countries in need do with their unwanted items? And what will we do with our waste?

Watch the documentary here: Mitumba Documentary