World Earth Day 2026: Ghanaian artist to build world’s largest handbag from secondhand clothing waste

• Ghanaian artist DoTT is building the world’s largest handbag using discarded clothes to spotlight waste pollution

• The project is part of a global campaign pushing sustainability and changing how people view waste

• It highlights Ghana’s growing textile waste crisis and calls for more responsible consumption

A Ghanaian artist and sustainability advocate, Emmanuel “DoTT” Kunfaa, has launched an ambitious global campaign to create what is set to become the world’s largest handbag made entirely from textile waste, using the project to spotlight the growing environmental crisis.

The initiative, announced on Wednesday April 22, to mark World Earth Day 2026, is currently being developed in Accra under his advocacy platform, Trash Of Fame. It is positioned as a cultural response to rising textile pollution, unsustainable consumption, and waste management challenges.

“Today is not about unveiling the bag yet; this day is about capturing the attention of the world and delivering a stark awakening to the reality that discarded textiles are not just harmful waste,” DoTT said.

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“With a guided conscience, this awakening holds the potential to transform the narrative and ignite a powerful shift in our collective awareness,” he added.

According to the artist, the project marks the start of a global storytelling campaign aimed at placing Ghana at the centre of creative environmental leadership, with campaign videos already rolling out across social media platforms.

DoTT explained that the idea was inspired by a personal experience during a university visit to a landfill site in Ghana, where he encountered the scale of waste pollution. The turning point, he said, came after a near-fatal incident involving an explosion at a burning waste site in his community.

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The experience led him to question how waste could be transformed into something meaningful, eventually giving rise to the Trash Of Fame initiative focused on sustainability, education, and culture-driven environmental action.

Globally, an estimated 92 million tonnes of textile waste are generated each year, with projections rising sharply by 2030. In Ghana, millions of secondhand clothing items arrive weekly, with a significant portion ending up as waste.

This has contributed to environmental damage, including polluted waterways and coastal waste accumulation, as well as health risks linked to the burning of synthetic materials.

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“The making itself is part of the message,” DoTT stated. “We want the world to witness transformation from waste to wonder, from discard to dignity. This is not just about creating art; it is about confronting a system that treats both materials and communities as disposable.”

The project uses the handbag, a symbol of fashion and status, to challenge global consumption patterns and encourage more responsible behaviour around waste.

Through the campaign, the public is being encouraged to rethink consumption, reduce waste, and support sustainable practices, while also contributing materials to the project as it evolves.

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The theme for Earth Day 2026 is Our Power, Our Planet.