The Or Foundation

The Or Foundation is a non-profit that has operated in Ghana and the United States since 2011 at the intersection of environmental justice, education and fashion development. From its base in Accra it works in solidarity with Kantamanto, the largest secondhand clothing market in the world, where used garments from the global north arrive as both livelihood and waste.

The organisation describes its goal as catalysing a justice-led circular economy through direct action, research and advocacy. Its Tide Turners team removes more than 18 tonnes of textile and plastic waste from Accra’s beaches every week, the Kanta Keepers sort textile waste inside the market, and the Secondhand Solidarity Fund supports retailers and upcyclers after fires and floods. A research programme develops machinery, built locally, to process clothing waste.