In the Quiet Hum of Small Ateliers, Off-Cuts, Threads, and Forgotten Scraps Whisper Their Untold Stories

This study details a qualitative exploration of the ecological and creative implications of fabric waste at small-scale clothing production in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana. Utilizing ethnographic observation, semi-structured interviews and art-studio practice, this study follows the discard piles of textiles, off-cuts, threads, and scraps as materials, which act as a “silent witness” to environmental destruction and undeveloped potential. Waste of various typologies was identified, with 90-95% of the waste being cut scraps from cotton, silk and synthetics most often burnt or sent to landfill sites which adds to greenhouse gas emissions and soil degradation. Amongst other findings, interviews with twenty (20) artisans telling tales of fabric waste also revealed the loss in waste for them as it represents a loss of labor, resources, culture, and connection that could be artistically alchemized into textile artwork pieces via art techniques including; collages, applique, quilts, braided vases. Through these artworks, which are displayed in local trash markets, ideas of “waste” are shifted and practices of the circular economy are inspired. The study finds that waste as a living archive represents both ecological crisis and human capability.