International Day of Zero Waste: Local designers highlight need for sustainable practices

CAPE TOWN - Local designers are stepping up to celebrate the International Day of Zero Waste, highlighting the critical need for sustainable practices.  

The theme in 2025 - zero waste in the fashion and textiles industry - focuses on reducing waste in a sector that reportedly generates a staggering 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually.  

Madison Barefield from Not I But We said brands need to be aware of the materials they use, urging for a shift towards more sustainable choices.  

“We believe in the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit, and so we want to do things that are both kind to people and the planet. We try to use as many upcycled materials as possible.

"We don’t ever get rid of the things that we create. They go back into the earth and sometimes stay in the earth for a very long time, so I think there’s such an opportunity to reuse, reduce and recycle.”  

Sigcinakele from Quaint by Design said citizens should be mindful of the amount of waste the country is producing.  

“I think fashion is the second most polluting industry on earth, and that is negatively impacting us as a planet. The way that items from the west are just polluting third-world countries is also not cool, and now we’re supposed to deal with that. It’s just too much.”