According to the startup, Africa has become the dumping ground of the global fast-fashion industry.
According to a Greenpeace report, roughly 70% of African consumers rely on the second-hand market or cheap synthetic imports that lack durability.
Almost 40% of the imported clothing — dubbed 'obroni wawu' (dead white man's clothes) in Ghana — arrives in an unusable state. Bales are stuffed with shredded garments and torn, stained items that are beyond repair.
According to the startup, what happens next is an environmental disaster. In Kenya alone, the textile waste amounts to around 200 tonnes a day, much of which is dumped in:
- landfills
- rivers, and
- drains.
Faro co-founder David Torr concludes, "Our commitment to the circular economy goes beyond waste prevention; we're dedicated to addressing the existing problem."
This dedication has given rise to Faro Impact, a textile recycling initiative.
For every kilo of high-quality, sustainable clothing we sell, Faro Impact will recycle an equivalent kilo of textile waste.
For more information, visit
www.faro.africa.