Generation of leather offcuts in the Ghanaian footwear industry

Despite the contributions of the footwear industry to livelihoods and to the provision of useful products in society, waste from footwear production is toxic and can cause harm to humans if not managed well. This study attempts to quantify the leather offcut generation rate in Ghana’s footwear industry and examine factors that contribute to it. Using a quantitative approach and a descriptive correlational research design, the study focused on local footwear producers in Kumasi and Tamale. Results from the study showed a statistically significant difference in the leather offcut generation rate of footwear producers in Kumasi (M = 0.23kg, 0.21kg for two production cycles respectively) in comparison to producers in Tamale (M = 0.12kg, 0.11kg for two production cycles respectively). Additionally, there is a significant relationship between leather offcut generation and production duration, production quantity and footwear type, specifically female slippers and sandals. The study concludes that waste from leather offcuts is sizeable and should be given attention, bearing in mind that it is influenced by scale-related variables and internal production dynamics.