Glasgow Caledonian is lending its expertise in renewable energy and sustainable fashion to a ground-breaking project in South Africa.

Researchers are partnering with the University of Johannesburg and the social enterprise Clothes to Good to help provide a prototype to supply clean energy to power garment recycling in townships.

The project, funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, aims to support South African initiatives which generate employment for people with disabilities through the recycling of discarded clothes.

Entitled Empowerment of People with Disabilities through Integration of Eco-Energy Systems and Sustainable Garment Processing, the partnership leverages clean energy solutions and innovative recycling methods to create new opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families within South African townships.

Hybrid Energy Systems: Leading the technical side of the project are colleagues from the School of Computing, Engineering, and Built Environment (SCEBE) at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU).

The team, led by Professor Mohamed Emad Farrag is developing a hybrid system that integrates wind turbines and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to produce the clean energy required for garment processing, in collaboration with the South African social enterprise, Clothes to Good.

Professor Emad Farrag said: “The project will build on the experience that Glasgow Caledonian has in developing hybrid systems of wind turbine and solar to produce enough clean energy that is essential to provide the electric energy needed for processing garments.”

Empowerment Through Sustainable Fashion: Sustainable fashion experts from Glasgow School for Business and Society, led by Dr Lindsey Drylie Carey, will involve students in the design of garments inspired by the upcycling approach of Clothes to Good, which recycles hundreds of tonnes of textile waste each year.