We're continuing our conversation with Elmar Stroomer, Founder of Africa Collect Textiles and Sarah Njau, Managing Director of GFS East Africa. In this episode, Sarah and Elmar dive deeper into practical solutions for both textile waste and the overall environmental impact of producing apparel in Kenya for American brands. We also discuss the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) — a trade preference program with the U.S. and certain African countries — and examine how U.S.-based startups in textile-to-textile recycling can help tackle both post-production and post-consumer textile waste.

We address critical questions for U.S.-based fashion brands and startups: How can American brands producing in Kenya collaborate to handle their post-production waste more sustainably? Why should textile-to-textile recycling startups expand their operations to Kenya, and how can they do it effectively?

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The fashion industry faces major changes following President Trump's signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4th, just one day after Congress passed the sweeping budget and tax legislation. In this episode, Suited host Kenya Wiley — former Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee — examines how this new law will impact the business of fashion across three critical areas: trade policy and sourcing, climate and environmental law, and higher education for fashion design and law students.

The legislation creates ripple effects throughout fashion’s supply chain, affecting everyone from independent designers and major brands and retailers, to ecommerce companies, apparel manufacturers, shippers, and the farmers who provide raw materials. Kenya breaks down these complex policy changes into actionable insights for industry professionals navigating this new landscape.

The episode concludes with powerful remarks from Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who delivered the longest floor speech in House history in efforts to delay the bill's passage.

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Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles are expanding worldwide — from France and the EU to Kenya, the Netherlands and California. But implementing EPR isn't just about government policy; it's also funding and infrastructure needed for textile collection, sorting, and recycling. In this episode of Suited, we explore how circular fashion must operate within a dual market. Take Kenya, for example — a country that Business Insider Africa reported in March 2025 is the largest importer of second-hand clothes in Africa. Here, textile waste streams from two different sources — local apparel manufacturing for both domestic consumption and export, and the secondhand clothing trade.

Joining us are Sarah Njau, Managing Director of GFS East Africa, and Elmar Stroomer, Founder of Africa Collect Textiles. Together, we tackle critical questions: When does secondhand clothing become textile waste? What happens to fabric offcuts from factories in Kenya producing garments for global brands? And how do we go from EPR policy to building infrastructure in the regions most impacted by textile waste?

Connect with Sarah Njau on LinkedIn

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Africa Collect Textiles Website

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