The rise of the term “conscious fashion” suggests that much of the industry has been anything but conscious. For decades, fashion has been driven by overproduction, overconsumption, and waste, with little regard for the environmental and social consequences.

Globally, the fashion sector produces around 100 billion garments a year, of which an estimated 85% end up in landfill. Greenpeace has reported that overconsumption in wealthier nations results in vast quantities of discarded clothing being shipped to the Global South under the guise of charity. Africa, in particular, has borne the brunt of this practice.

South Africa, however, stands at a complex intersection. It has a middle class that consumes heavily, while the working and underclass often rely on donations and second-hand clothing. Unlike some neighbouring countries, South Africa regulates the import of used clothing, which offers partial protection. Still, domestic textile waste remains a mounting problem. GreenCape’s 2023 report found that textiles make up 6% of landfill in the Western Cape.

Beyond landfill space, textile waste is a growing health and environmental crisis. Fast fashion has accelerated the use of plastics in textiles, and washing synthetic garments releases microplastics into water systems.

“Microplastics have been identified in placentas and breast milk,” warns Jecendra Naidoo, founder of Clothes to Good (C2G), a South African social enterprise. “The microplastics from clothing end up in water supplies and our bodies, and we should be concerned.” Studies already suggest possible links between microplastics and cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other long-term health risks.

Problems and opportunities

Naidoo is blunt about the scale of the issue:

“The idea that clothes with tags on are hitting landfills in South Africa, a very unequal country, is horrendous. We must turn these issues around.” His organisation, Clothes to Good, has spent 14 years doing just that, diverting textiles from landfills and reimagining their use.

One breakthrough has been leveraging global fashion brands’ commitments to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). While South Africa has yet to legislate EPR for textiles, global brands operating locally are bound by commitments made in Europe and elsewhere. “The benefit of global EPR is that it does help Africa,” Naidoo explains. “Many countries ship out their downcycling, but in South Africa, we don’t. We do the entire process here.”

H&M was one of C2G’s first partners, establishing collection points in its 28 South African stores. These alone bring in around 40 tonnes of clothing every month. Levi’s has since joined, offering 20% discounts for denim donations. “The challenge is incentives,” Naidoo says. “Too high and people abuse the system; too low and they don’t engage. We’ve found models that work for different brands.”

Sorting: The critical step

The outcomes follow the EU waste hierarchy:

• Reuse & repair: Quality items are resold through microbusinesses, many run by mothers of children with disabilities.
• Upcycling: Denim is turned into weighted blankets for children with autism or anxiety disorders, or into other therapeutic products.
• Downcycling: Unusable clothing is shredded into fibre for automotive and construction industries.
• Destruction: As a last resort, items are responsibly incinerated, used only once in C2G’s 14-year history.

Technology is adding precision to the process. C2G is piloting infrared scanning with UK partner MATOHA to identify fabric composition, and integrating data with smart scales. “Sorting is critical,” Naidoo says. “Tech like this ensures accuracy and efficiency while still being inclusive.”

Partnerships extend into innovation. Trials with engineers have explored mixing shredded textiles into Zerocrete, a cement alternative, and even reprocessing crushed glass to lower costs of weighted products. “If we can bring the price of weighted blankets down from R50 to under R5, it makes them accessible to families who need them most,” Naidoo says.

Social recycling

C2G calls itself a “social recycling company”, and for good reason. One third of its workforce are people with disabilities, while its microbusiness model empowers parents, particularly mothers of disabled children, to earn a sustainable income by reselling pre-loved items in their communities.

Operations director Tammy Greyling, an occupational therapist by training, says this inclusion is fundamental: “Sustainability is about caring ,for the planet and for people. Recycling creates the perfect kind of work for people with disabilities: structured, tangible, and meaningful.”

The stories are striking. Steven, who secured his first job at age 54 through C2G, has since been named Employee of the Year multiple times. Another mother has supported her two children through higher education and purchased a home and car through income generated from reselling clothing.

Naidoo insists the link between social and environmental outcomes is inseparable: “We put just as much emphasis on the social as we do on the environmental, and when you join the two, you find a better way forward.”

The road ahead

South Africa still lacks robust infrastructure for textile recycling, and much of the industry is under pressure to adapt. “Brands like H&M and Levi’s have shown leadership,” Naidoo notes. “But local retailers must step up. If South Africa introduces EPR for textiles, as it has for packaging and e-waste, we’ll need collection systems, incentives, and collaboration in place.”

He stresses that the challenge cannot be met competitively: “This is not a competitive space, it’s a collaborative one. Reverse logistics is already reshaping supply chains. If brands can align on take-back schemes, we can scale solutions quickly.”

As the world confronts the environmental cost of fashion, C2G demonstrates that waste can be turned into opportunity, and that inclusion can go hand in hand with sustainability. For Naidoo, the mission is clear: “Nobody is excluded from fashion. Unless you’re walking around naked, you’re part of it. That means we all share the responsibility for making it sustainable.”