Every week, Ghana’s Kantamanto Market, one of the world’s largest secondhand clothing hubs, receives an estimated 60 containers of used garments. This influx, driven by global overproduction, places pressure on local infrastructures while fueling a vibrant, resilient community economy. In the midst of this complex reality, The Revival Lab is proving that the future of fashion can be circular, dignified, and community-powered.
This commitment to transforming waste into opportunity was recently recognized on the global stage. The Revival Lab was awarded the Wildcard Category at the 2025 Global Change Awards by the H&M Foundation, an honor celebrating pioneers driving the future of sustainable fashion.
But for The Revival Lab, this recognition is more than an accolade; it is a validation of a movement rooted in Ghanaian ingenuity. The Lab partners with the youth, traders, kayayei (head porters), tailors, and artisans across Kantamanto, equipping them with skills in upcycling, repair, material innovation, and circular design. Garments are not simply reworked; they are reborn, uplifting the people who bring them to life.
At its core, The Revival Lab champions dignity over charity. It reframes Kantamanto’s ecosystem not as a site overwhelmed by waste, but as a global hub of creativity, repair culture, and climate resilience. Through training programs, circular education, and creative collaborations, the Lab is reducing textile waste, strengthening local livelihoods, and demonstrating how fashion’s value chains can support both people and planet.
Winning the Global Change Award and being listed on TIME100 Climate 2025 create a significant platform to amplify this message internationally, challenging the broken fashion system and inspiring policymakers, brands, and communities worldwide to invest in ethical production, extended product lifecycles, and circular infrastructure.
As global conversations on climate justice deepen, The Revival Lab stands as a living blueprint proving that solutions are already being prototyped in the hands of the communities closest to the waste and a scalable circular blueprint for African cities facing similar challenges.
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