Right now, the fashion system follows a linear path: take, make, waste. This system needs to change by closing the loop instead, and making it circular? South Africa has the potential to build a thriving circular fashion economy, but there are barriers to overcome. Explore the possibilities (and the roadblocks) below:
Current system
The current fashion system follows a linear model:
take → make → use → waste
We extract resources, turn them into products, and rapidly consume and discard them. This system is unsustainable and we need an alternative.
What is circularity?
By closing the loop, the circular economy extracts fewer resources, produces less waste, and makes more use of what is already in the system. What would this look like in SA? Circular business models include circular supply, sharing & renting businesses, resale, lifespan extension, and resource recovery.
Circular supply
Instead of extracting virgin resources, we could produce what we need using renewable or recycled materials. This keeps resources in circulation, rather than sends them to landfills.
Example: A T-shirt made from recycled cotton.
Sharing & renting
Instead of buying a new item, we could access what we need by renting. This works well for things you don’t use regularly – like occasion wear (and workshop tools). This increases the usage per item, and means you don’t have to buy something you’ll only wear / use once.
Example: Style Rotate, a clothing rental platform in SA.
Resale
Instead of buying and then discarding clothes, they should be kept in circulation by reselling what we no longer use.
Example: You can sell clothing that no longer fits you on Yaga, an online marketplace for preloved clothing in SA.
Lifespan extension
Instead of making products with short lifespans, we could design products to last long and that can be easily repaired, upgraded, and disassembled. This slows down the speed of consumption and disposal.
Example: Brands could take responsibility for the longevity of the things they produce by offering repair services and using durable production techniques.
Resource recovery
Instead of sending useful materials to landfill, we should recover materials to be used again. This would slow down resource extraction, and reduce waste.
Example: Connacher is a South African textile recycler. Another example is upcycling old clothing into something new which keeps it in use.
What’s holding back SA?
Despite existing circular business, we have a long way to go before our whole system is circular. Key barriers include:
- Lack of recycling infrastructure
- Over-reliance on imports
- Limited funding for material innovation
- Consumer habits
- Lack of policy frameworks
Beyond waste
Circularity isn’t just about reducing waste – it’s also about social inclusion, environmental regeneration, and economic growth. SA’s fashion future can be beautiful, ethical, and sustainable – we need to be intentional about how we build it.
Sources
- Kiera Crowe Pettersson, Twyg
- WRAP Changing Our Clothes
- OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- World Economy Forum
Credit
- Main image by Julia M Cameron via Pexels
- Read more of our Explainers here
