ACT Featured by Deutsche Welle: Turning Textile Waste Into Something Useful

Deutsche Welle highlights ACT’s work in Kenya and Nigeria, showing how local systems turn discarded textiles into reused and upcycled products.

Deutsche Welle has published a new video and article about textile waste and the work Africa Collect Textiles does in Nairobi and Lagos.

The piece shows a growing global problem: only 1% of all textiles are recycled. At the same time, 90% of used clothes in Europe end up in Africa and Asia. Many of these items cannot be reused and become waste as soon as they arrive.

Deutsche Welle follows ACT as one of the organisations creating practical solutions on the ground. ACT collects old clothes and shoes, sorts everything by hand, and turns what cannot be worn again into useful products. Some textiles become bags, rugs, or other upcycled items. Others are reused as affordable second-life clothing in local communities.

The video highlights how ACT works in both Kenya and Nigeria, and how simple, local systems can keep textiles in use for longer.

Share the Post:

Related Posts

How can Kenya’s textile industry embrace a circular economy?

October 28, 2025
Alex shares what we’ve learned from partners in Kenya’s recycling space. How do we turn used clothes into new opportunities for people and the planet?

Rethinking Textile Waste in Kenya

July 23, 2025
ACT is featured by UNSSC for driving practical, community-led circular solutions that keep textiles in use and cut waste in Kenya.

The DOEN Foundation supports ACT

August 17, 2023
With support from the DOEN Foundation, ACT diverts unwanted textiles from landfills by building local collection systems that turn waste into new possibilities.
Scroll to Top