THE JOINERY SOUTH AFRICA: COMBINED EFFORTS TOWARD ACHIEVING NET ZERO

By Lorraine Kinnear

According to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, a United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) partner, a truckload of unwanted textiles is disposed of or burned every second somewhere on the planet. In the meantime, it is thought that individuals are purchasing 60% more clothing and wearing it for 50% less time. Textiles and other plastic fibres are causing pollution oceans, freshwater bodies and the atmosphere.

Although the environmental costs of fast fashion are increasing, scientists argue there is another way: a circular economy for textiles. Implementing and aligning to this circular economy, an organization hailing from South Africa, The Joinery, is building a legacy of sustainable practices both from environmental and social perspectives.

Co-founded by Natalie and Kim Ellis, The Joinery is a sustainable and ethical product design brand based in

South Africa. Their principal priority is finding solutions for environmental and community issues through design. The organisation lives by a simple motto that, "We believe in being kind to our planet and fair to our people, one plastic bottle at a time." The Joinery is on a journey to ensure that all their processes are as sustainable as possible from beginning to end, from recycled fabrics, through to sustainable packaging, donating offcuts to NGO’s and offsetting their carbon footprint.

How It All Began

The brand came alive when the Co-founders Natalie and Kim teamed up to participate in South Africa’s net zero efforts. Before establishing The Joinery, Kim worked for high-end fashion brands in London, such as Burberry and Jimmy Choo. Natalie worked at the intersection of art, design and media, directing a film on William Kentridge.

“Our career paths may seem quite different, but they granted us unique insights into the luxury market and South Africa's creative economy,” responded the duo. They also reflected that their father was an entrepreneur who worked in clothing manufacturing in South Africa during the 1980s and so as children, Natalie and Kim spent a lot of time in the factory, witnessing the entire production process, from design to the physical making of the clothes. This experience instilled in a passion for making and a deep appreciation for the art and craftsmanship involved in creating beautiful objects.

TRC: What inspired The Joinery to embark on this current movement?

TJ: We launched The Joinery in 2011 with the aim of creating a sustainable fashion label and uplifting highly skilled workers who had been affected by the downturn of the manufacturing industry. We had noticed a lack of sustainable fashion brands in the South African market and wanted to address this issue by providing consumers with a sustainable alternative. As we developed our expertise and expanded our offerings, we conceptualised a sustainable fabric from recycled plastic bottles which we then called Future Felt™. We started to explore the potential of Future Felt™ for use in our product design and corporate gifting and hospitality lines, which led to the expansion of our business into those areas. Our vision to re-purpose waste into our Future Felt™ fabric has led us to create handcrafted travel, tech and interior ranges. We continue to be motivated by individual and industry support. And in turn, we can help businesses offset their plastic footprint.

TRC: What are the core activities of The Joinery?

TJ: Sustainable Textile Innovation: We have partnered with some incredible local manufacturers to create our Future Felt™ and Future Tex™ fabrics, both which are made 100% from recycled waste products.

Product Design and Manufacturing: At The Joinery, we design and manufacture a range of sustainable products, including travel and tech accessories, hotel amenities and home goods. We have an in-house team of talented Artisans and continue to prioritise quality craftsmanship, while up-skilling our team of Crafters. Furthermore, we are steadfast on ensuring that all of our products are ethically produced and environmentally friendly.

Collaborations and Partnerships: We’re proud to collaborate with various businesses, brands, and organisations to create custom sustainable products and promote their sustainable practices. We have worked with renowned companies like Polo, LVMH, and Relais & Châteaux, together with these partnerships creating a sustainable impact, and in exchange, helping businesses offset their plastic use.

TRC: Who are the key players in your organisations?

TJ: Our name, The Joinery, is based on our founding principles of collaboration. We aim to join up with like-minded artisans, businesses and forward thinkers who are committed to promoting sustainability.

Our key players consist of our founders, sisters and leaders, Kim and Natalie, who both play a crucial role in shaping the vision, strategy, and overall direction of the company.

The Joinery's workforce, consisting of creatives, business development specialists and skilled artisans, is integral to the company's success. Our founders being sisters has also allowed us to build a strong sense of family within our business, and we take great pride in creating a company culture that is supportive, collaborative, and inclusive.

We work closely with various partners and collaborators across different industries. These include businesses of all sizes, Hotels, Retailers, Banks and various Corpo- rates to mention a few brands, and organisations that share their commitment to sustainability.

At The Joinery, we aim to actively engage with and contribute to our local community. By providing employment opportunities, financial stability, and investing in the training and development of our employees. We have also worked with women’s sewing co-operatives in the past.

TRC: Kindly unpack the process that The Joinery follows in selecting materials, converting them into finished products.

TJ: As The Joinery, we’ve always prioritised sustainability in material selection, considering the environmental impact and aiming to source as ethically as possible. We make every effort to utilise recycled waste as our primary material whenever feasible. For any additional materials, we focus on locally sourced, sustainable alternatives.

Our vegetable-tanned leather gets its colour from a natural dying process, which replaces harsh chemicals with natural tannins derived from plant matter. From the very beginning, we felt strongly that our business should invest in the rich heritage of African leather artisans. To do this ethically, we make sure that our leather is a by-product of the meat industry.

TRC: Does your organisation have any commitments, milestones you would like to achieve in the foreseeable future?

TJ: The Joinery is committed to making a significant impact on environmental sustainability by diverting plastic waste from local landfills and coastlines. Currently, we are actively working towards our goal of repurposing 1 million plastic bottles. We are proud to announce that we have recently reached the milestone of repurposing 850,000 plastic bottles, bringing us closer to our target. By transforming these bottles into sustainable textiles, we are making a tangible difference in reducing plastic pollution and protecting our ecosystems.

TRC: How do you believe that your mission speaks the SDGs?

We believe our organisational goals align with several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: We believe our commitment to sustainability and ethical manufacturing practices directly contributes to SDG 12. By repurposing plastic bottles and utilising recycled and upcycled materials, we aim to promote responsible consumption and production patterns.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: At The Joinery, our focus on uplifting highly skilled artisans and upskilling locals supports SDG 8. We provide employment opportunities, fair wages, and financial stability to our employees and artisans. By investing in their training and development, we believe we contribute to sustainable economic growth and the well-being of their workforce. We also believe that by removing plastic waste from local coastlines, we align with SDG 14: Life Below Water. And that our collaborations speak to SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

TRC: How do you believe Africa fairs on transitioning to a circular economy?

TJ: Africa, like other regions, encounters both challenges and opportunities in transitioning to a circular economy. Although limited infrastructure and awareness pose obstacles, we remain optimistic. Across many African countries, long-standing traditions of circularity have been practiced due to resource scarcity and frugality. We believe that by tapping into this heritage, circular practices can be reintroduced and embraced by many communities. Africa has demonstrated a receptiveness to innovation time and again. Despite existing challenges, we firmly believe that Africa has the potential to leapfrog and wholeheartedly adopt circular economy principles as an integral part of its sustainable development agenda.