TRANSFORMING PLASTIC WASTE INTO FASHIONABLE DRESSES: AN EXPLORATORY APPROACH FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Purpose: This study tries to make clothing appealing and sustainable from plastic waste. Design/Methodology/Approach: An in-depth interview was done using (30) people across recycling companies to examine the challenges in recycling plastics in Ghana. Clothing was designed to pay particular attention to the amount of plastic waste used. A cross-sectional quantitative study was done to sort opinions on the possible uses of plastic using one hundred and fifty (150) fashion students. Another cross-sectional quantitative study used one hundred and fifty (150) fashion students to determine the acceptability of clothing made from plastic waste material. Findings: The results showed that the challenge faced in recycling plastic is the high cost associated with the materials and equipment required for recycling. Producing clothing from plastic waste can contribute significantly to reducing plastic waste. Sportswear is the most preferred clothing item from recycled plastic waste. Research Limitation: The research is geographically restricted to the Greater Accra of Ghana. The type of plastic waste material obtained and used in clothing production is limited to plastic waste material generated within the Greater Accra of Ghana. The acceptance of clothing made from plastic waste material is also limited to the researcher’s design presented to participants. Practical Implication: The research transformed plastic waste into usable clothing and examined its acceptability. This provided insights into consumer-acceptable clothing that can be made from recycled plastic waste. Social Implication: The study quantifies how much plastic waste can be recycled into a particular fabric and provides an idea of the quantity of plastic waste that can be removed from the environment based on the number of clothing produced. Originality/Value: The work also employed different methods to make plastic suitable for fabric production and blended recycled plastic with traditional fabrics, which were incorporated into the clothing design. Plastics from their original state were altered to different textures to allow the plastic to be cut into different designs and to fit a particular design for which the plastic waste fabric was used. Textile testing evaluated characteristics like tensile strength, abrasion resistance, shrinkage, breathability, and moisture wicking.