The epi-centre of second-hand clothes in Kampala is Owino Market, the largest market in Uganda and home to over 2,000 market traders, many active in selling second-hand clothes. Most traders do what they can to repair and alter garments for sale; despite this, reportedly a high proportion is discarded and ends up in landfills. The long-term vision is that Uganda will develop its own textile manufacturing base, which will reduce the cost of locally-produced garments and reduce the need to import high volumes of clothes from elsewhere.

• Conduct cost-benefit analysis on current textile waste management and landfill practices in the business as usual trajectory and potential economies of diversion for re-use.

GHG emissions

• Assess the current environmental impact of discarded textiles by researching the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of rejected materials measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) and develop a methodology to allow eventual calculation of net change of GHG emissions reduced or avoided that can be attributed to the project relative to the assumed business as usual emissions trajectory.

Market study

• Collecting data on income for waste collectors, tailors and other identified individuals. • Mapping the potential off-takers within the environs of Kampala and major towns for repurposed second-hand materials; fashion, household items, such as mops, cloths, shredded materials, etc. and potential extent of demand. This would also include price per kg of materials.

• Mapping the existing eco-system of designers working to repurpose rejected textiles into design or other materials.

• Propose a set of indicators to quantify the economic opportunities for project participants that can be attributed to the project (e.g. access to market, improved income, work benefits), developed with consideration to the SMEP and WasteAid’s theories of change and impact measurement approaches.

Promoting circularity

• Propose a methodology to apply the Circular Transition Indicators (or another recognised set of indicators) to the project.

• Co-facilitate workshop(s) to explore potential new off-takers for secondary textile products (e.g. catering suppliers, sanitary, educational, fashion, soft furnishings)

• Recommendations on promoting circularity in the project context and the Textile Reuse Hub model. Key contacts will include staff from WasteAid, the Uganda Tailors Association, Management Training and Advisory Centre, Kampala City Council, KACITA, KACITA Women's League, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and Sustainable Manufacturing Environmental Pollution programme, as well as stakeholders in and linked to the market. Similar projects are operational in Nigeria and Kenya. WasteAid will provide contacts and access to their knowledge products/learnings and approaches.

Market Assessment Outcome Desired final outcome: The assessment is a key knowledge output for the project (as well as for the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution programme at large). The desired final outcome is a comprehensive report identifying type and quantity of discarded materials, their current destination and options for repurposing and potential markets for the repurposed materials.