Pioneering eco-friendly design and textile practices for South Africa
April 2006
Can you tell organic products from the conventionally produced ones? What is organic? What is certified organic? What is natural? Chemical free?
Like most people, you're baffled by the multitude of eco-choice labeling and plethora of organic jargon we're bombarded with. What does it all mean for you and your environment? Are you being duped into supporting advertising ploys? Who profits?
These and many more questions form the basis for a national awareness campaign articulated through events such as the Environmentally Friendly Design Competition and the "No Kak" Fashion Show .
These events are only a sampling of a larger campaign which supports and promotes products that have been produced in an environmentally responsible manner and will be profiled at the Natural and Organic Products Exhibition to be held from the 20-22 October 2006 at the Gallagher Estate, Midrand, Johannesburg.
Environmentally Friendly Design Competition
The call for entries is out: The Environmentally Friendly Design Competition invites prospective students to participate in this year's environmentally responsible design extravaganza.
The national eco-friendly design competition rides on the formula and success of the previous competition hosted by the Clothing and Textile Environmental Linkage Centre (CTELC) in 2004 and sponsored, by the Royal Danish Embassy and the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti). The competition is aimed at raising environmental awareness to designers and retailers involved in fashion and textile design as well as promoting products that have been produced in an environmentally responsible manner.
Students who are registered with academic institutions offering textile, clothing or fashion design/technology are encouraged to take part in this competition. They will need to either produce an eco-friendly fashion garment or an eco-friendly home textile product. Only eco-friendly fabric will be used for this competition. The creations will be displayed during the Natural and Organic Products Exhibition.
"No Kak" Fashion Show
Fashion garments produced for the competition will be showcased during our premier "No Kak Fashion Show" coined after a similar event held in Europe called "No Shit" referring to the designs contributing to no waste, no pollution, no harmful products used during the creation of the products.
Competition finalists will be announced at a not-to-be-missed gala event, coinciding with the No Kak – Environmentally Friendly Fashion Show, on Sunday 22 October, 2006. The fashion show is touted as a premier event and is a popular focal point for the Natural and Organic Products Exhibition.
Natural and Organic Products Exhibition
The No Kak-Fashion Show and the Environmentally Friendly Design Competition are a joint venture of the National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC-SA)* and the Natural and Organic Products Exhibition. Subscribing to cleaner manufacturing processes and products has far-reaching implications for the clothing and textile industries, including:
(i) Higher quality garments which fetch a higher price;
(ii) Qualification for the globally recognized (European) Eco-Flower label, which is a powerful point of sale;
(iii) Savings made throughout the cultivation and production process as fewer chemicals and less processes are required.
(iv) Minimized negative effects from farming on the environment and nature, as well as improved farm worker health.
Vital Statistics
"The organic (chemical free) industry is the fastest growing industry segment worldwide - and is growing at 25 per cent annually," says David Wolstenholme, Exhibition Director of the Natural and Organic Products Exhibition. According to Organics SA, the organics sector earned about R155 million in 2005, compared to R3 million in 2003. There are just over 200 certified organic operations in South Africa, and about 77 per cent went into organic conversion over the past four years. The appeal of eco-textiles is growing locally with retailers like Woolworths, Cape Union Mart and Timberland exploring and investing in organic materials and products.
Still, South Africa lags behind international organic and bio-fuel practices. There is no South African organic standard or certification legislation and our Department of Agriculture does not have a clear bio-fuel or organic agricultural policy. Public awareness and education is needed to help mobilize the industry.
Says Wolstenholme, "[The organic industry] is about going "chemical free". It's about soil health, which leads to plant health, which ensures human health. But it's about far more than even this; it's about creating a lifestyle for all economic levels of our society that is totally sustainable."
Says Janine Johnston, Exhibition Manager of the Natural and Organic Products Exhibition: "We recognize that the future of textile and design is environmentally friendly. In the South African context, the sustainable development of the design and textile industry sector will benefit in the creation of ethical job opportunities for many. More than that, environmentally aware fashion will be recognized on the global platform and as such welcome investment into this growing cleaner textile industry."
Competition Payoffs
The design competition will be promoted at academic institutions that offer Fashion and Textile Design courses. Students may submit entries to two categories: Fashion garments and Home interiors and accessories (for example, bed sheets, carpets, pillows, bags, hats, shoes, etc). The competition is designed to ensure inclusion of environmental knowledge into tertiary textile and clothing design education; promote companies that produce environmentally friendly textiles; and raise awareness on adopting environmentally friendly concepts and translate these into eco-friendly designs.
Winners of the competition receive study bursaries, including two week study tours for the two first prize winners to the prestigious TEKO Centre in Denmark – all expenses paid. Students will benefit from the transfer of skills from institutions that have incorporated Cleaner Production and Environmental Awareness into their syllabuses. Second prize winners receive R5,000-00 bursaries and third prize winners R3,000-00 bursaries which are paid directly to their academic institution student accounts.
For further information please visit: www.naturalandorganic.co.za
www.ctelc.co.za; and www.ncpc.co.za
Ends
For media queries contact Nicole Capper on 021-425 5825 or 073 148 3561
For further comment contact David Wolstenholme or Janine Johnston on 021-671 0935
Attached: Invite to Enter
Editors' Notes
*The National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC-SA) was eatablished in September 2002 as a result of a collaborative effort between Austria, Switzerland, the South African Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) The Centre is currently hosted by the CSIR's Materials Science and Manufacturing operating unit at the Pretoria campus.
The NCPC aims to enhance the competitiveness and productive capacity of the South African industry and business sectors, focusing on Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's) through the use of CP techniques. The objectives of the Centre include:
- Advocation and awareness creation of CP within the SA industry sectors
- Development of national and regional CP capacity
- Supporting the transfer of CP technology
These objectives will be achieved through strategic partnering and efficient leveraging of local and international expert networks.
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