Fabric offcuts to boutique bags

This case study describes a circular economy synergy facilitated by the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) between Tradewinds, a parasol manufacturer, and Mors Design, an upcycling initiative. The partnership diverts textile offcuts from landfills to be used as raw materials for boutique handbags.

• Textile offcuts from the industry are typically difficult to recycle because their exact fabric composition is rarely known, leading to disposal in landfills or down-cycling into insulation and under carpets.
• Tradewinds, a parasol manufacturer based in Cape Town, previously disposed of its textile offcuts at the nearest landfill but sought a sustainable alternative for this waste stream.
• Mors Design, an upcycling initiative that employs refugees and local community artisans, expanded its product line by combining Tradewinds' textile offcuts with tyre tubes to create 'Brollie bags'.
• The use of textile offcuts reduced production time for Mors Design because the materials are easier to work with and do not require the same individual cleaning process as tyre tubing.
• The synergy provided economic benefits to both parties: Tradewinds lowered its waste disposal costs regarding logistics and landfill gate fees, while Mors Design increased revenue and expanded its artisan network.
• Following the success of the handbag project, Tradewinds expanded its waste diversion efforts by sending textile offcuts to three additional initiatives: dog beds, handbags, and a community upliftment sewing program.
• Since its initiation in 2013, the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) has facilitated over 220 synergies, diverting 132,566 tonnes of waste from landfill and creating 392 economy-wide jobs, with economic benefits exceeding R147 million.

APA

GreenCape (2022). Fabric offcuts to boutique bags. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WISP_Tradewinds_WEB.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Fabric offcuts to boutique bags. 2022. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WISP_Tradewinds_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Fabric offcuts to boutique bags |date=2022 |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WISP_Tradewinds_WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2022fabric, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Fabric offcuts to boutique bags}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2022}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WISP_Tradewinds_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }