Secondary resources > Geography KS3 > Africa
Overview - Climate - Water - Cities - Resources - Sustainability - Fashion
Exploring the issues of dumped waste textiles and how Africa's young fashion designers are upcycling used garments.
Here in Johannesburg, there's a lot of textile waste. Tonnes and tonnes of discarded clothes that often end up in textile dumpsites. You can find textile dumps in many African cities, like the Dandora Dump site outside Nairobi in Kenya, or on the banks of the Korle Lagoon in Ghana's capital, Accra.
But this waste isn't exclusively an African problem. It's the last stage in a global process. These are clothes that are made mostly in Asian countries, sold to consumers in Europe and America. Then when they're thrown away, they are shipped off to other countries, like ours. It's sometimes called 'waste colonialism'.
This is the result of fast fashion, where large companies make and sell clothes as cheaply as possible, and consumers are encouraged to keep buying more.
Since 2000, the global production of clothing has nearly doubled. Individuals are buying more than ever. The average European uses 26 kilograms of textiles every year and throws away 11. That waste has to go somewhere!
And that's a big problem because these are items that are made from synthetic fibres that can't rot or break down. They'll remain the same ways for hundreds of years. If we made all clothes from natural fibres, that wouldn't be a problem because the discarded clothes could be composted. But that still isn't sustainable because it takes 2,700 litres of fresh water to make just one cotton T-shirt!
But our African economies aren't dumping grounds. We're too creative for that. We're finding ways to turn this waste into a resource. Using old clothes for new designs is called upcycling, and it's the first step in a circular economy, an economy in which all the resources used to make a product can be used again and again.
That entrepreneurial approach is what we'll need to make sure that the fashion industry is really sustainable. I'm with Sicelo, a creative entrepreneur, and he's welcomed us into his amazing studio.
SICELO: After my graduation, I went into this journey of craftsmanship. It started as a passion project. Then I think the entrepreneurship part came in, so I learnt the ways of running a business. That's how I ended up here.
How does the ethos of sustainability align with your entrepreneurship?
SICELO: Part of my ethos is actually mentoring youth. So I've had youth that are part of the skills development programme that we're doing, coming up with innovative ideas, like taking old denims from their neighbours, stitching them together to create a new fabric all together. And that was used to refurbish some of the old shoes.
How does your company compare to a large fast fashion company?
SICELO: Our company is the total opposite of the fast fashion. Our product, very authentic, very unique due to the fact that they are handmade, and also with this idea of using off-cut. It's a very labour-intensive exercise. These products basically like communicate with our customer. They tell stories, they preserve our heritage, and they also speak to this whole concept of sustainable development.
And with the youth in mind, what are your hopes for the future?
SICELO: To have this nice smaller training production house, not only to sell our product, but to teach, because that's what we have been doing ever since we started the brand. We can be able to tell these stories for the world to celebrate.
In the future, scientists believe that we'll be able to make synthetic fibres that can be broken down into a liquid ingredient and then used to make brand new fabric as many times as we want. Or fabric using new natural energy techniques like weaving using fibres from mushrooms.
Those are both technologies that researchers are working to develop. But for now, entrepreneurs in places like this are taking action. They're repurposing, recreating. They're turning rubbish into high-value items that can be bought and sold around the world. They're building new companies, creating jobs, and reducing waste.
The video
Fast fashion, waste and upcycling
Download/print a transcript of this episode (pdf).
This video explores why so much textile waste ends up in African cities, such as Johannesburg, and what the impact of it is.
Fast fashion has caused huge problems for cities, not only across Africa but also Asia and South America too. Chioma explores the concept of ‘waste colonialism’ and what can be done to counter this huge environmental issue.
Alongside interviewing local entrepreneur Sicelo Mabuza, Chioma investigates how the fashion industry could become sustainable through the use of new synthetic fibres and innovative new weaving techniques.
Teacher Notes
Download/print the Teacher Notes for this episode (pdf).
Teacher Notes prepared in partnership with the Geographical Association.
Before watching the video
- Discuss with students what they think ‘fast fashion’ is. Can they give examples of companies associated with fast fashion and the issues being caused by the fast fashion industry? You could also discuss with students whether they feel there is a place for fast fashion.
- Students could create a spider diagram about their understanding of fast fashion. This could be added to while they watch the video.
- Can students think of any solutions to fast fashion? Students may make a link to ‘influencers’ who promote sustainable fashion habits, such as buying second hand or recycling clothing.
- Introduce key terms such as:
Textile dump: a place where textile waste such as clothing, bedding and fabric scraps are stored. This is sometimes in areas not designed to hold this waste.
‘Waste colonialism’: the practice of exporting waste from wealthier countries to less wealth countries, highlighting a power imbalance between the countries that produce the waste and those that receive it.
Fast fashion: inexpensive and mass-produced clothing created in response to the latest fashion trends.
Sustainable: the practice of using natural resources responsibly so they can support the population of today and future generations.
Circular economy: an economic system based on the reuse and regeneration of materials products to be more sustainable.
While watching
You may wish to stop at relevant points during this short film to pose questions and check understanding, or wait until the end. Useful questions might include:
- What is a ‘textile dump’?
- What environmental issues might this cause?
- Why does the waste end up in many African cities?
- What is fast fashion?
- What are the impacts of fast fashion?
- Why do we through away so much clothing each year?
- What is a circular economy?
- How can the fashion industry become more sustainable?
After watching
- Discuss what is meant by the use of textiles. This can include the buying of textiles - not just clothing - but bedding, towels and blankets too. The use of textiles also includes the clothing that has been thrown away due to its use - for example, a pair of trousers with holes in or something that has been outgrown such as children’s clothing. What do the students think should be done with used textiles?
- Discuss the solutions to fast fashion and textile waste that were covered in the video - such as upcycling, using specially created synthetic fibres and entrepreneurial upcycling. Students could choose one of those methods to research. Examples of companies that would be useful to research include Kleiderly, Rebirth (A South African clothing company) and Infinited Fiber. Students could create a presentation on their chosen method to share with others. What are the advantages and disadvantages to those methods? Can they be achieved on a large scale like in the fast fashion industry?
Where next?
- The book Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas is a great place for further research. The author explores a range of issues associated with the fast fashion industry and what the solutions might be. Students could read sections of this text to help them understand the impacts of the fashion industry.
- One of the world’s largest second hand clothing markets is at Kantamanto in Accra, Ghana. Items from fashion brands across the world can be found on stalls there and much of it has come from charity shops in countries such as the UK.
- Many people rely on the sales of the clothing; however the environmental impact of the clothing as well as the social impacts - such as the decline of traditional clothing industries - are huge. A lot of textile waste flows into the Odaw River and the Korle Lagoon and this causes major environmental damage. The Korle Lagoon is one of the most polluted waterways on Earth.
- Students could research the wider impacts of this waste - for example, what impact does it have on food webs as the clothing breaks down and is swallowed by wildlife?
Links
Fast fashion:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zqx6p4j
Sustainability:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z8vpcxs
How can we live more sustainably?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zwjdkty
Curriculum notes
This clip will be relevant for teaching Geography at KS3 in England and Northern Ireland, 3rd/4th Level in Scotland and Progression Step 4 in Wales.
In the English National Curriculum this video can be used to help teach the following:
- Using maps of the world to focus on Africa, focusing on the environmental regions, hot deserts, key physical features, countries and major cities.
- Understand geographical similarities, differences and links between places through the study of human and physical geography of a region within Africa.
- Human geography related to economic activity and the use of natural resources.
Resources
Teacher Notes
Download/print the Teacher Notes for this episode (pdf).
Transcript
Download/print the transcript for this episode (pdf).
Secondary resources > Geography KS3 > Africa
Overview - Climate - Water - Cities - Resources - Sustainability - Fashion
