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- Each year, the fashion industry is responsible for tons of clothing and textile waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Promoting sustainable fashion has become a way to reduce the environmental impact of international brands, and ensuring fair wage practices.
- Here's how some South Africans are playing their part.
From thrifting clothes on an app to creating a fashion line from curtains, South Africans are trying to make a difference to help save the planet.
The word "sustainability" is becoming increasingly popular in the fashion industry, with customers and brands considering the environmental impact of production processes of coveted outfits and the wastage associated with fast fashion.
Statistics show the global fashion and textile industry consumes 215 trillion litres of water and contributes between two and 8% of global, greenhouse gas emissions.
In Cape Town alone, more than 70 000 tonnes of textile waste was dumped in the municipality's public landfills in 2022, according to Greencape's textile industry report.
So, fashion entrepreneurs and designers are finding innovative ways to ensure that they can make money while being kind to the environment.
Wihan Joubert is one of the founders of thrifting app Drip Markets.
He considers sustainability an important pillar of the business. The application, available for Android and iOS devices, provides people with an opportunity to sell their second-hand clothing to customers across the country.
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The app already has more than 3 000 users.
"The idea was sparked in 2020 when I was a matriculant at Paul Roos [Gymnasium] with Bernard [Combrink]. I decided to develop a local equivalent for the UK popular app, Depop," he said.
Joubert and Combrink, who are Stellenbosch University students, are hoping the app will continue to grow.
Speaking about the importance of sustainable fashion, Joubert said the fashion industry was one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases and that it was important to create sustainable businesses and contribute to an eco-friendly environment.
"If the fashion industry continues to go down this road, the problem is going to get much worse. When buying an item on Drip Markets, it prevents water pollution, energy demand, and CO2 emissions," he said.
According to Joubert, the importance of sustainability for fashion brands has increased since more young people have begun to criticise fashion labels for how carbon-conscious they are.
"We are exposed to facts about pollution in the fast-fashion industry, so when we go to the mall and enter certain shops, we think about whether what we are buying is helping the environment or not. We think, 'Are we contributing to the problem [of pollution]?'"
Cape Town-based fashion designer, Megan Art defined sustainability as honouring people who work in the industry and the environment.
As the founder of the fashion brand Artfit, Art uses fabric off-cuts and fabric from local factories and shops as an "innovative way" to make her clothing.
She said she recently designed a collection using old curtains. "As a fashion designer, you have to be honest about where you get your resources. It is not about taking from the environment. You want to give fabrics a second life," she said.
"In South Africa, we have a huge fashion industry where people are not acknowledged and paid the right wages. Sustainability is neglected."
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Art said she decided to upcycle and reuse materials during her time at fashion school.
"When I was in fashion school, we would make a mock [outfit] but throw the material away. In my second year, I did not have money to buy fabric, so I started looking at home for old seat covers and older furniture coverings for fabric for my designs. I created a Kimono jacket and I have been wearing it ever since."
According to Art, sustainability in fashion is about changing one's mindset about waste.
"You need to see that something as simple as a black bag can be reused. We often see waste as not having value, when it does."
