South Africa Textile Recycling Market Overview, 2029

South Africa Textile Recycling Market Overview, 2029

The textile recycling market of South Africa is changing discarded threads into a tapestry of sustainability, thereby weaving a brighter, greener future for the nation and beyond. The textile recycling market of South Africa has been revolutionized over the past couple of decades. It previously did not major in textile waste; most of it was disposed of in landfills. The increased realization of environmental concerns and the global wave for sustainability has made the management of clothes and textiles more structured. While some recycling was initiated in early 2000, it was so minimal and small, though. It took some moments in 2010 for governmental and extra-governmental to begin its significant progress. This has increased the efficiency of the processing of the textile waste since specialized recycling facilities were built and improved in utilizing new technologies. The South African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (SACTWU) also played a significant role in recycling. Another reason is the due to the collaboration between the public and the private sector as this has enabled and developed fully integrated recycling programs. It means the added value of the circular economy principles that reduce waste and leverage the value of resources is bigger. The consciousness of the consumer about textile rubbish and the environmental impact also increase; thus, their engagement in the recycling schemes increases. What is more, the brands from within the very field of fashion also hit on the same theme by getting involved in recycled textiles and launches that further sustainable actions and eco-products. The South African government has introduced several policies and sets of regulations in support of the recycling of textiles. This is based on the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (NEMWA), which is an umbrella act for regulating waste management, including the promotion of recycling. The policies include the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations introduced in 2021, which obligate producers to take responsibility for the whole lifecycle of their goods, including end-of-life disposal.

According to the research report ""South Africa Textile Recycling Market Overview, 2029,"" published by Bonafide Research, the South Africa Textile Recycling market is anticipated to grow at more than 4% CAGR from 2024 to 2029. Sustainability is a central agenda in the South African textile recycling initiatives. The efforts of this country are putting in measures towards landfilling zero waste and to ensure there is resource efficiency. Textile recycling helps save natural resources, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize water and energy use in manufacturing compared to using raw materials. Organizations work with organizations like GreenCape and Recycle 1st to make general practices within the textile industry more sustainable. The nature of the textile recycling industry in South Africa is quite elastic and allows one to work with various kinds of textiles and also methods of recycling. Empowerment that the level the industry is at par with can be seen in the pre-consumer, such as manufacturing scraps, and post-consumer, such as rejected garments, waste. The flexibility of this is important in addressing the wide range of textile manufactured and used in the country. The advances in recycling technology, which incorporate recycling techniques of mechanical, as well as, chemical recycling enhance the ability of the sector in managing the diversified materials of the country. For this reason, infrastructures and technology that supports the effective collection and sorting, therefore form the core success of textile recycling in South Africa. Many cities have set up drop-off points to enable textile customers to recycle with ease. Clothes to Cash Exchange (C2CX) is an example of a program pushing consumers to recycle old clothing items. Sorting technologies, through the implementation of artificial intelligence technology, coupled with automatic facilities, are highly articulated to sort the textile with great precision for recycling or regeneration. Various prominent events have taken place within the South African textile recycling market. In 2022, the WasteCon Conference described textile recycling as a Key and Priority Sector needing of Innovative Solutions in Recycling. South African Fashion Week South African Fashion Week takes place yearly, and in its latest editions, indicates emphasis on sustainability linked to collections of recycled textiles.

The South African textile recycling market is currently in its nascent stage, with huge opportunities for improved collection of post-consumer and pre-consumer wastes. In South Africa, the amount of wastes generated is about 680,000 tons per year; of these, about 15% are currently being recycled. The scope is quite good at this juncture because South Africa is striving to build its Circular Economy and reduce the environmental footprint made by textile wastes. South Africa's post-consumer textile wastes are mainly represented by garments and home furnishings that are discarded by consumers. Two organizations that are attempting to make a difference in this area are Clothing Bank and Reliance Compost, which source used textiles and resell them or turn them into value-added products. On its part, Clothing Bank collects donated clothing before providing entrepreneurial training for women, hence enabling them to start their own business by selling the refurbished garments. Interest in pre-consumer textile waste, becoming generated during the manufacture of clothing in South Africa, is new. Companies like Rewoven are at the forefront in making pre-consumer waste into recycled fibers. Rewoven picks up scraps of fabric from garment factories and weaves them into new fabrics, thereby demonstrating value-added applications. It has been incumbent upon the South African government to recycle textiles, hence developing policies that are conducive to the sector. Strategies are the National Waste Management Strategy, focusing on the diversion of 40% of generated waste to landfills by 2024, with special attention paid to textiles. Additionally, growing eco-friendly consumerism in South Africa creates demand for sustainable fashion solutions. Young generations increasingly emphasize attention to ethical and green products; there is huge pressure on the brands to become sustainable. Brands such as Ghana's ""Kitenge Clothing"" or Nigeria's ""Iro and Buba,"" that function in the way of refreshing traditional textiles with a modern contemporary twist, set the positive example for the world to see how to function in this way and display potential for the sustainable and culturally relevant fashion industry on the African continent.

In South Africa, the segmentation of the market is based on various materials having different methods of recycling and problems. Cotton is the most commonly used natural fiber and leads in textile recycling in South Africa. Mechanical methods are used in recycling cotton. Sorting, shredding, and spinning are done to form new yarns from cotton wastes. The quality of the cotton fibres being reprocessed, however, diminishes at every cycle, putting a cap on the number of times cotton can be effectively cycled. Resultantly, South Africa is now turning to newer solutions in the domain of chemical recycling, where cotton fibres are broken down to the molecular level to facilitate higher-quality reuses. Strategies, such as those captured in the South African Waste Management Strategy, allow for the advancement of the recycling infrastructure and encourage further development of advanced recycling technologies for cotton and other textiles. The South African textile recycling market is driven to a considerable extent by polyester and polyester fibers with their increasing presence due to wide usage and recyclability. Advanced recycling technologies, such as chemical recycling, are being implemented in South Africa to improve the efficiency and quality of polyester recycling. Corporations and academic institutions in South Africa are involved in developing new methods for increasing polyester recycling rates. These methods are driven by the rapidly growing market demand for sustainable textile solutions. This growth is further underpinned by government initiatives and regulations favorable to waste reduction and recycling. Nylon and nylon fibers are a peculiarity in the textile recycling market. Nylon is recyclable, although it is a rather complex and energy-intensive process. Mechanical recycling dominates the scene, but one of the problems connected with this process is lower-quality fibers.

Chemical recycling seems to be very promising since it would be possible to produce top-quality nylon from such waste. Innovative ways of recycling nylon are being sought in South Africa by companies and research institutions working on new, more efficient, and sustainable recycling processes. This includes partnerships with international partners in tapping the latest technologies and best practices in nylon recycling. Another natural fiber that is recycled in South Africa is wool. This, however, happens in a very small amount. The process involves sorting, cleaning, and shredding wool textiles into fibers, which are afterwards spooled back into new yarn. South Africa is putting research and development efforts into the wool recycling process for better wool recycling and the production of new wool products from wool waste, as set out in goals on sustainability. Other textiles that are recycled in South Africa, albeit to a lesser degree, involve silks, linens, and synthetic blends. These materials vary tremendously in terms of their content and properties, so the methods of reprocessing will change greatly. Waste management plans for the recycle of textiles are supported in South Africa by policies from its government, such as extended producer responsibility schemes. Contributions toward collection, sorting, and recycling of textile wastes in South Africa are also made by organizations like CSIR and SACTWU.

The South African textile recycling market is bedeviled by peculiar challenges and opportunities that mirror the country's diverse economic landscape and the rise in environmental consciousness. Among the different forms of textile waste, apparel waste ranks as the firmest category in the pre-cycle and upcycling dynamics in South Africa. While the country has a robust industry dedicated to textile and clothing production, the middle class continues to expand, acting as a strong class of high consumers. But concomitantly, this waste issue is being complicated by the infiltration of cheap, low-quality imports. Being set up are initiatives like the Cape Town based Clothing Bank which measures to try to balance this out by collecting unwanted clothing and setting it to be re-distributed, with employment opportunities in the process. Several chains have take-back programs in place, though, as yet, these are insubstantially in their initial phases compared to more advanced markets. Home furnishing waste is increasingly becoming the fastest-growing section of the textile recycling market in South Africa with the rapid growth in urbanization and the rate of development in the property market. Companies like Sustainable Fiber Solutions are pioneering efforts to bring recycling solutions for carpets and other home textiles while developing the infrastructure for large-scale recycling options for these materials. But, on a smaller scale, automotive textile waste is fast coming into focus with the growth of South Africa's automotive manufacturing sector. It is already a substantial producer of both vehicles and auto parts, and waste production from the interior trim operations for cars is constant. Prominent sources of textile waste in South Africa are the mining and agricultural sectors, with the majority being industrial textiles, institutional sources such as hospitals and schools, and technical textiles employed especially in construction.

South Africa has a couple of peculiar issues in the area of textile recycling. There is no modern facility in the country for recycling, since sustainability is a concept that applies foremost to this country. The Waste Pickers Association of South Africa is working on the formalization and upgrading of conditions for these needed workers within the recycling ecology. Government initiatives on textile waste have started to gain momentum. The National Waste Management Strategy puts emphasis on increasing recycling of all streams, including textiles. The implementation remains a tall order since the sector is low on resources and at loggerheads with competing priorities. Currently, innovation in the sector is coming from companies, such as Isotherm, which has developed insulation products from recycled PET bottles and textile waste. Such initiatives prove the value to be created from textile recycling. The market is also a host to non-profit engagement. For example, Clothes to Cash Exchange (C2CX) drives circularity in textiles while generating income for the unemployed. Through the process, the mechanical process dominates in South Africa, whereby the textiles are physically processed into smaller pieces. This is broadly utilized in recycling pre- and post-consumer textiles into new yarns for re-entry into the fashion supply chain. The other, chemical recycling, is a growing process in South Africa that breaks down textiles to a molecular level, providing multiple points of re-entry into the fashion supply chain. Material-wise, cotton remains the top material being recycled in South Africa. Many textile recycling plants are situated in South Africa, such that nearly every textile recycling plant specializes in cotton recycling. Polyester and polyester fiber are also being recycled, though to a lesser extent. Nylon and nylon fiber are also recycled, but in smaller numbers, along with wool. Other materials include acrylic and blends, which are also being recycled; however, the market for these materials is still developing.

The textile recycling market in South Africa is in an infant state, with huge scope for better collection of post-consumer and pre-consumer waste. The volume of generated waste in South Africa stands at approximately 680,000 tons per annum, of which the present recycling rate stands at approximately 15%. The scope seems good at present, as South Africa is trying to develop its Circular Economy and decrease the environmental footprint caused by textile wastes. South Africa's post-consumer textile waste largely comprises discarded garments and home furnishings. Two organizations trying to make a difference in this arena are Clothing Bank and Reliance Compost, sourcing used textiles and reselling or turning them into value-added products. In its turn, Clothing Bank collects donated clothing, after which it provides entrepreneurial training for women, thus helping them start their own business by reselling the refurbished garments. Interest in pre-consumer textile waste, becoming generated during the manufacture of clothing in South Africa, is an emerging area. Companies like Rewoven are taking the lead in turning pre-consumer waste into recycled fibers. Rewoven picks up scraps of fabric from garment factories and weaves them into new fabrics, showing their value-added applications. The South African government has felt the need to recycle textiles and has, thus, formulated policies to support this sector. The strategies are the National Waste Management Strategy, which focuses on diversion of 40% of generated waste to landfills by 2024, paying special attention to textile. With increasing eco-conscious consumerism in South Africa, demand for sustainable fashion solutions is created. Younger generations are giving more and more priority to ethical and environmentally friendly products, forcing the brands to become sustainable.

Considered in this report
• Historic year: 2018
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecast year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report
• Textile Recycling market Outlook with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Material
• Cotton
• Polyester & Polyester Fiber
• Nylon & Nylon Fiber
• Wool
• Others

By Source
• Apparel Waste
• Home Furnishing Waste
• Automotive Waste
• Others

By End-Use Industry
• Apparel
• Home Furnishings
• Industrial & Institutional
• Others

By Textile Waste
• Post-consumer
• Pre-consumer

By Process
• Mechanical
• Chemicals

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary and secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list the companies that are present in it. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources, primary research was conducted by conducting telephone interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this; we have started making primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting them in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us, we can start verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations, and organizations related to the Textile Recycling industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing and presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.