The OR Foundation, a Ghana and U.S-based non-profit organization, and online fashion retailer SHEIN have reportedly announced a multi-year agreement.

This deal will enable the launch of SHEIN's EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) Fund. The EPR Fund will help in advancing the design and execution of social and ecological sustainability strategies aimed at clothing entering the global second-hand clothing trade that is eventually categorized as waste.

The Or Foundation-SHEIN agreement is unique and establishes a yearly brand commitment to support waste management initiatives in communities highly affected by textile waste.

SHEIN plans to dedicate USD 50 million to the EPR Fund for five years. The proceeds will be used for global causes aligning with SHEIN’s objective to address global textile waste management and advance circular economy development, in addition to other EPR commitments.

Liz Ricketts, Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Or Foundation remarked that the EPR Fund will hold brands accountable to the communities managing their waste.

Ricketts appreciates SHEIN's willingness to acknowledge that its clothing might be ending up in Kantamanto.

Adam Whinston, SHEIN’s ESG Global Head stated that the retailer has established a pioneering impact agenda. He emphasized that it is important for the fashion ecosystem to address secondhand waste.

Under the initial grant receipt, The Or Foundation will receive USD 5 million per year for three years from the Fund.

It will use the resources to grow Mabilgu Apprenticeship Program for young women carrying secondhand clothing bales on their heads, pilot fiber-to-fiber projects with Ghanaian textile makers, and nurture community businesses transforming textile waste.

More importantly, the Foundation will upfit Kantamanto Market through a community-based approach to ensure safety and dignity in the world's largest secondhand clothing market.

Furthermore, the Foundation will redistribute some part of the initial grant to partner organizations in Ghana. SHEIN and The Or Foundation will collaborate to recognize more grant receipts in other nations affected by fashion-related issues this year and in the coming years.