The exploration of remanufacturing and upcycling in the Cape Town fashion manufacturing industry

Abstract

Statistics show that the average person wears a only garment seven times before throwing it away (Eco Friendly Habits, 2021). Due to global concerns regarding the fashion industry being the cause of depletion of natural resources, discussions of sustainable fashion have been emerging since the 1900s. The topic of this study is the exploration of remanufacturing and upcycling in the Cape Town fashion manufacturing industry. The research has been conducted in response to the research gap in these sustainable practices within the local (Cape Town) apparel manufacturers. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore current practice and existing perception towards recycling practices, with a focus on remanufacturing and upcycling in the Cape Town manufacturing industry. The multiple-case study included owners from two small niche market businesses, one marketing consultant for major local clothing retailers, two local independent designers, and a team leader in the product development department of a significant local outdoor wear retailer. The study adopted the Circular Economy (CE) framework and further developed a data analysis framework (Hugo et al., 2021). The newly-developed conceptual framework aims to establish barriers and drivers (factors) that may have an influence on the adoption of sustainable manufacturing practices. The Theory of Constraints was adopted to identify one significant barrier and further adapted to identify the major driver to the adoption of sustainable manufacturing practices. Considering the barriers to the adoption of circular practices, the results show a significant gap in education regarding sustainable manufacturing practices such as remanufacturing and upcycling in South Africa. Funding emerged as the main driver of sustainable practices. An important finding on a broader perspective of the circular fashion system in terms of developing and developed countries reveals that the significance of circularity in the Global South and the North is centred on different priorities. In fact, circular fashion in the Global South is founded on social benefts rather than the environment. However, the most crucial results show that the move towards a circular fashion in South Africa, Cape Town, will require all aspects of sustainable development that consider the people, the planet as well as profit.