A natural product of any human society is waste.⁽²⁾ Waste can be classified in many different ways as it is generated through just as many processes and activities. While waste generation is a societal corollary, its management can contribute constructively to a society. This CAI paper explores the concept of upcycling and the benefits thereof when compared to other traditional methods of resource recovery associated with waste. It discusses some examples of successful businesses based on upcycling from across Africa.

Why waste?

In Sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that 62 million tonnes of waste is produced annually.⁽³⁾ This number falls at the lower end of the global spectrum, as “the higher the economic development and rate of urbanisation, the greater the amount of solid waste produced.”⁽⁴⁾ In 2005, the average waste generation per capita (kg/capita/day) for Sub-Saharan Africa was 0.65 while in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries it was 2.2.⁽⁵⁾ However, in countries where waste is not managed well, complications such as air pollution, flooding, and the spread of infectious diseases and respiratory ailments arise.⁽⁶⁾ Waste management is such a large priority that in most lower-income cities “solid waste management is usually a city’s single largest budgetary item.”⁽⁷⁾

While waste is discarded material, it has been recognised as a potential source for resource and energy recovery. Traditionally, this has been conceived of as the three R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. The latter is the option that is most often effected in terms of harvesting useful material from waste. However, recycling is a process that “requires energy and resources to collect, sort and process unwanted items and waste.”⁽⁸⁾ Although recycling often uses a fraction of the energy that would be required to harvest the end product directly from raw materials, it still requires an energy input. In many of Africa’s nations, the recycling process has not yet been fully realised. One of the main reasons is the lack of sustainable models, particularly with regard to financial viability.⁽⁹⁾ However, there is a process that requires little to no energy and resources, namely ‘upcycling’.

Upcycling: The future according to waste

The term ‘upcycling’ was coined in 2002 by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. Upcycling denotes the process of re-purposing waste in a manner that maintains or increases its value.⁽¹⁰⁾ This is a process that can be engaged by unskilled persons and professionals alike. It can be the re-purposing of old clothing, office appliances, furniture or anything else within the grasp of one’s imagination and resources. The conversion of an item’s status from waste to something of use maintains or increases its value. Indeed, many have successfully adopted upcycling as a means of doing business, in contrast with the “downcycling” ⁽¹¹⁾ process of recycling where waste is converted into material that is less valuable or of a “lesser grade” than the initial material.⁽¹²⁾

Changing the world one upcycle at a time

Upcycling is seen to have many benefits associated with it, in particular environmental benefits. As mentioned, upcycling requires no energy or resources. If done professionally, energy and resources may be expended, but it can also be done at home without consuming either. Upcycling furthermore helps to minimise waste that goes to landfill sites which produce methane, a greenhouse gas.⁽¹³⁾ It also benefits the environment by reducing the consumer demand for manufactured goods. These factors make upcycling an attractive option in the face of Africa’s environmental metrics, whether they are community centred or internationally imposed, such as the Millennium Development Goals.

Africans have employed upcycling in different ways for years. Ethiopians have used tyres as the material for the soles of their “selate” and “barabasso” shoes.⁽¹⁴⁾ This in turn inspired soleRebels, an Ethiopian brand that is now international, and is credited as the worlds’ first fair trade green footwear firm.⁽¹⁵⁾ In South Africa, artisans have worked with wire in innovative ways to create furniture, toys, and other items. Richard Mandongwe is one such artisan whose creation of flowers using plastic bottles and wire has played an important part in inspiring the work of renowned upcyclist Heath Nash.⁽¹⁶⁾

Upcycling not only impacts the environment, but it also helps sustain communal memory and legacy. As such, in some contexts it has formed an important part of preserving and ascribing historical value to what would otherwise be discarded. Artlantique is an innovative furniture company that exemplifies this through re-purposing and “reincarnating” West African fishing boats.⁽¹⁷⁾ The company articulates its mission as “transform[ing] in furniture the soul, the history and the wood of old fishing boats from the West of Africa.”⁽¹⁸⁾ It accomplishes this by bringing together teams of local craftspeople to envision and execute the transformation in a manner that actually creates social and cultural cohesion.⁽¹⁹⁾ Another economic benefit is the creation of jobs. The end result is unique pieces of African furniture made of untreated ‘Samba’ wood capturing the history of the “thousands of nautical miles” it has traversed.⁽²⁰⁾

Upcycling has also become an exciting alternative for those who wish not to identify with mainstream cultures of mass-production. In these circles, upcycling has been established as trendy and fashionable. The WREN design is a South African range of bags that had its inception in providing an alternative to mass-produced goods.⁽²¹⁾ Its founder, Wendren, looked to create a bag that “had a story [and] was beautiful.”⁽²²⁾ Much like Artlantique, The WREN design embraces the life or story, in which the consumer participates upon his purchase. This company favours organic and/or natural fabrics, such as paper packaging, coffee sacks, and antique linen grain sacks.⁽²³⁾ The WREN design has made such an impact on the fashion world that it has featured in multiple magazines, blogs, and websites as an innovative and trendy brand to look out for.⁽²⁴⁾

Concluding remarks

The number of African initiatives that upcycle to make a profit is increasing. However, people also economise their lifestyles by upcycling in their homes, schools, and workplaces. Upcycling is an important alternative for Africans who are environmentally conscientious, who seek to preserve the history of used items and who wish to remain fashionably relevant. Whether for profit or not, upcycling provides an accessible solution to all Africans in the effort to recover valuable resources from waste and maintain Africa’s environmental beauty. Upcycling represents an easy way to make a difference, and initiatives such as this one deserve the support of local communities.

Written by Tapfuma Musewe ⁽¹⁾

NOTES:

(1) Contact Tapfuma Musewe through Consultancy Africa Intelligence's Optimistic Africa Unit ( optimistic.africa@consultancyafrica.com). This CAI discussion paper was developed with the assistance of Charlotte Sutherland and was edited by Kate Morgan.
(2) ‘State of the environment in Asia and the Pacific 2000’, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Report No. 4, 2000, http://www.unescap.org.
(3) ‘What a waste: A global review of solid waste management’, World Bank Urban Series Report No. 68135, 1 March 2012, http://siteresources.worldbank.org.
(4) Ibid.
(5) Ibid.
(6) Ibid.
(7) Ibid.
(8) Robert, ‘Why upcycle?’, Upcycling: Why recycle when you can upcycle!, 10 March 2011, http://www.upcycling.co.uk.
(9) ‘Waste stream analysis and prioritisation for recycling’, National Waste Management Strategy Implementation South Africa Report No. 12/9/6, 4 April 2005, http://www.sawic.org.za.
(10)McDonough, W. and Braungart, M., 2002. Cradle to cradle: Remaking the way we make things. North Point Press: New York.
(11) Ibid.
(12) Ibid.
(13) Robert, ‘Why upcycle?’, Upcycling: Why recycle when you can upcycle!, 10 March 2011, http://www.upcycling.co.uk; Greenworks website, http://www.greenworks.co.za.
(14) SoleRebels Footwear website, http://www.solerebelsfootwear.co.
(15) ‘Ethiopian shoemaker takes great strides’, BBC News African Dream, 27 July 2012, http://www.bbc.co.uk.
(16) Heath Nash makes cool things website, http://www.heathnash.com.
(17) Artlantique website, http://www.artlantique.com.
(18) Ibid.
(19) Ibid.
(20) Ibid.
(21) The WREN design website, http://www.thewrendesign.com.
(22) Ibid.
(23) Ibid.
(24) Ibid.