SECONDHAND CLOTHING IN KENYA by Anamaya K

S H C

Second hand clothing in Kenya

Nottingham Trent University

INVESTIGATION INTO KENYA’S SECONDHAND CLOTHING MARKET AND ITS PRODUCTS’ LIFECYCLE

by Ann Kendi Kinoti N0948597

A Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Bachelors of Arts (Hons) Degree in International Fashion Business APRIL 2021

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to my personal tutor Jo O’rourke for her patience, invaluable guidance and encouragement which enabled me complete the project; my lecturers for their positive feedback and invaluable advice, knowledge and support. I give special thanks to my family for the constant encouragement that helped maintain focus in the task of completing this project. I also appreciate and thank my colleagues, friends and interview respondents for being there whenever I needed their support and cooperation.

C O N T E N T S 0 6

I N T R O D U C T I O N Background to the study 08

A B S T R A C T

Aim and Objectives 09 Rationale 10 Limitations of the study 11

C H A P T E R

1 2

M E T H O D O L O G Y

1.1 Research design 13 1.2 Population and sampling

This study investigates Kenya’s second-hand clothing market and its products lifecycle. A survey research design was used to collect primary data directly from respondents by use of a self-administered questionnaire that was distributed online. The research also made use of existing data from a variety of secondary sources. The collected data was processed and analyzed using Microsoft Office applications. The findings concluded that the importance of the second-hand clothing market to the consumers and its economic benefits cannot be underestimated. In addition, there are no structured textile waste collection and disposal systems. The study recommended that dedicated textile waste collection and disposal systems that are based on personal responsibility of consumers at the local community level should be put in place by the county governments in partnership with the private sector.

1.3 Data collection 15

C H A P T E R

L I T E R A T U R E

1 7

R E V I E W

2.1 Clothing market in Kenya with a focus on second-hand clothes 16 2.2 Second fashion business practices 23 2.3 Consumer utilization of second-hand clothes and their repurposing 26

C H A P T E R

A N A L Y S I S

O F

3 9

F I N D I N G S

3.1 Clothing market in Kenya with a focus on second-hand clothes 42 3.2 Second fashion business practices 43 3.3 Consumer utilization of second-hand clothes and their repurposing

C O N C L U S I O N

A N D

4 9

R E C O M E N D A T I O N S

Conclusion 51 Recommendations 55

R E F E R E N C E S / A P P E N D I C E S

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

6 3

5 7

I N T R O D U C T I O N

According to (Statista 2020), in 2019, the global market value of second-hand and resale apparel was estimated to be worth 28 billion U.S. dollars. Currently, Africa stands out as one of the foremost second-hand clothing fashion market in the world. Recent figures from the UN show that an estimated 80 % of Africans wear second-hand clothes that are mainly imported from the USA, Europe, India and Pakistan (Africa vs the USA n.d.). The demand for imported second-hand fashion clothes by the African countries and Kenya in particular follows their accommodative prices and availability. Typically, the clothes are imported by wholesalers who sell them onto networks of distributors and retailers who then distribute them further to second-hand clothing traders in various towns and local markets around the country. A report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Economic Survey (KNBS 2020) indicates that Kenya imported 185,000 tonnes of second-hand clothes (SHC) commonly called ‘mitumba’ in 2019. Thus making the country one of the largest second-hand importers of mitumba in Sub-Saharan Africa. In reference to a report by the Kenya Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA Kenya n.d.), the volume of imports of the second-hand clothes grew from 111,000 tonnes to 185,000 tonnes between 2015 and 2019. During this period, the value of the imports rose by 80 % to approximately Kenya Shillings 18 Billion (GBP 122.4 Million). This steady rise in imports was fuelled by the local consumer demand for the mitumba and exports to the neighbouring countries. Undoubtedly, the second-hand clothing business in Kenya has created employment for many people in the country and raised revenue for the government but the trade has broader negative consequences and drawbacks for the country. For example; the trade is thought to have destabilized the Kenya’s local textile manufacturing bases and industries, thus suppressing their future revival or development. It may be argued that the use of second-hand clothing is a form of recycling that contributes to fashion sustainability since the clothing does not utilize additional resources apart from transportation. But the question is; where do all the thousands of tonnes of unwanted and old textile waste from the Kenyan consumers go to? The truth is their indiscriminate disposal has caused easily noticeable environmental pollution problems in the country.

Aim and Objectives

Background to the study

The aim of this study is to carry out an investigation into Kenya’s second-hand clothing market with a focus on its products’ life cycle and repurposing. And the study has was guided by the following objectives:

To investigate the clothing market in Kenya with a focus on secondhand clothes.

To examine current business practices surrounding the secondhand fashion market in Kenya.

iii

To explore Kenya’s consumer utilization of secondhand clothes and their repurposing through recycling.

The indiscriminate disposal perhaps happens because: people are not accountable for their textile waste; there are no proper structures in place for the disposal of the textile waste at the community level, and the consumers are not aware that the textile waste can be recycled or repurposed.

R A T I O N A L E

The study should generate information on the current status of the clothing market in Kenya with a focus on secondhand clothes, thus assisting the researcher gain valuable understanding of Kenya’s secondhand market and its products’ lifecycle. There is currently limited data on this particular topic. The first major contribution of this study therefore, is its addition of knowledge to the already existing body of knowledge. The study should produce information that could influence the operations of the secondhand clothing market through the adoption of the best business practices for improved performance. With information produced through this research, the major stakeholders in the secondhand clothing trade in Kenya should be well guided and informed about the factors that influence the trade. The study should as well influence the actual consumers of the secondhand clothing in Kenya. In its conclusion the study should come up with specific recommendations that my influence the consumers’ utilization and disposal of secondhand clothing waste not only for their benefit but also that of the environment. In addition, the study is expected to produce a business plan proposal for textile waste collection and recycling or repurposing.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Ideally, the study should have targeted more than 300 potential respondents from the majority of the 47 counties in Kenya with the assumption that they would respond. However, due to unforeseen travel restrictions occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic the researcher could not travel back to her home country to distribute and collect the survey questionnaires as earlier envisaged. For this reasons the research relied mainly on online responses from the sampled 119 respondents mainly from Nairobi. In addition, some of the sampled respondents were not as responsive as anticipated by the researcher. Due to unavoidable circumstances, time constrain was another limitation. However, the sample size used should be able to give to give a good representation of the target population.

C H A P T E R

1 R E S E A R C H M E T H O D O L O G Y 12

1.0 Introduction

This chapter describes the techniques and strategies that were used in this study. It describes; the research design, population and sampling, data collection and analysis procedures.

1.1 Research design

The study was conducted using a survey research design. This design is good for collecting original data from a population that is too large to be observed directly (Serem, Boit & Wanyama 2013). The researcher adopted the survey technique in order to collect information through the use of questionnaires from a sample of individuals that was representative of the population as a whole. This was necessary to cut down on costs that could have been involved in studying the whole population. It also enabled the researcher to collect data in the shortest time possible.

1.2 Population and sampling 1.2.1 Target Population Mugenda and Mugenda (2003, p. 9), define target population as the entire group a researcher is interested in or the group about which the researcher wishes to draw a conclusion. For this study, the researcher had a target population 300 individuals comprising of various stakeholders in the secondhand clothing business in Kenya. The stakeholders mainly included wholesalers, retailers and consumers.

1.2.2 Accessible Population

The population accessible to the researcher was 200 second-hand clothing trade stakeholders mainly from Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. Nairobi is cosmopolitan and has a good representation of individuals who are involved in the second-hand clothing business either as importers, wholesalers, retailers’ or consumers. The researcher therefore considered the accessible population in Nairobi as an appropriate reflection of the rest of the stakeholders, and a good sample size from the accessible population would provide a focal point for the study of Kenya’s second-hand clothing market and its products lifecycle.

1.2.3 Sample Size Sampling is usually a matter of compromise, in which the need to make the sample as representative as possible is constrained by the nature of the topic, and available time and resources (Serem, Boit and Wanyama 2013, p. 42). For this study, the sample size; which is the number of completed responses received consisted was 119. Generally for this type of research; survey via the internet, a sample size of 10%-20% of the accessible population is acceptable (Hill 1998). The sample size of 119 used represented 59.5%.

1.2.4 Sampling Technique Purposive sampling technique was used to select individual respondents. This technique allows a researcher to use cases that have the required information with respect to the objectives of the study (Mugenda and Mugenda 2005). The researcher adopted this technique in order to collect focused information from useful cases only, thus saving on time and other resources.

1.3 Data collection & analysis 1.3.1 Instrumentation

1.3.2 Research Procedures

A questionnaire was the main tool for collecting data. A questionnaire is a self-report instrument for gathering information about variables of interest in an investigation (Amin 2005). The choice of the questionnaire as the main tool was guided by the research objectives, the nature of the data that was to be collected as well as the time available. A questionnaire was carefully designed consisting of a set of questions covering the study objectives. The questionnaire had both open-ended and close-ended questions that were formulated in such a manner as to require simple answers. The questionnaire had an introduction section where the researcher gave the respondent an adequate brief about the purpose of the research and requested for their assistance and cooperation in the survey. The researcher also briefly addressed the respondent’s potential ethical concerns about the study.

After consultations and with concurrence of the tutor, the researcher developed a questionnaire with appropriate questions for the respondents. The researcher piloted the instrument with a select number of respondents and accordingly modified it for the purpose of improving on its quality. Thereafter, questionnaires were sent online to all the potential respondents. The 119 respondents included; 10 traders and 109 consumers. The respondents give feedback online. The identification of the respondents was optional. This was aimed at increasing the chances of getting honest responses. The exercise for data collection took two weeks.

In addition the researcher conducted a telephone interview with a respondent from a set of questions that were based on the study objectives. Apart from the primary data that was collected purposely for this research through the questionnaire, the researcher also used secondary data from relevant content analysis.

1.3.3 Data Analysis The collected data was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. A scientific calculator was used to work out percentages, and Microsoft Office applications tools were used as necessary to process and present the findings as applicable. Descriptive content analysis was also used whereby the researcher presented a detailed description of the findings.

2 . 1

C L O T H E S

C L O T H I N G

D A N DH N

Source: Canva

F O C U S

W I T H

Y A N K E

C H A P T E R

2 L I T E R A T U R E R E V I E W

The current clothing market in Kenya is mainly comprised of new and second-hand clothes (SHC), commonly called mitumba. The quantity demand for the new clothes by the ordinary Kenyans is generally low due to their relatively high price compared to mitumba. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Economic Survey (KNBS 2020), shows that in 2019, the ordinary Kenyan spent an average of Kshs. 4, 150 (USD 39) annually for new and second-hand clothes. The low per capita spending leads to a price-conscious approach towards purchasing of new clothes forcing many Kenyans to opt for the cheaper second-hand clothes. This leaves the clothing market for new clothes mostly for the high income consumers and purchasers of uniforms and related clothing for institutions and schools. The growth of the SHC market over the years is evident from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS 2020) data that shows the sector imported clothes worth Kshs. 17 billion(USD 0.16 billion) in 2018 and Kshs. 11.96 (0.11 billion)in the first quarter of 2019. In 2017 the traders spent Kshs 13 billion to import 136,000 tonnes of mitumba, while 2016 they spent 12.9 billion to bring in 132,000 tonnes.

Table 2.1. The 5 world leading exporters of used clothing in 2019 750

737 Exports in millions US dollars

2.1.1 The current state of the clothing market in Kenya

According to (OEC n.d.), in 2019, the 5 leading worldwide exporters and importers of used clothing are as shown in Figure 2.1 and Figure 2.2 .

500

527 385

349

Germany

China

Figure 2.2. The 5 world leading importers used clothing in 2019 203

Ukraine

189

Pakistan

Country

Whilst a number of the retail clothing stores in Kenya such as the well-known brands; LC Waikiki, Woolworth, Truworths and Brand Shops are seemingly doing well, others such Deacons, Mr. Price and Woolworths have not achieved the expected level of growth or success due a number of factors. The Deloitte Kenya Economic Outlook 2016 notes that Kenyan SMEs, including those in the clothing market are hindered by inadequate capital, limited market access, poor infrastructure, inadequate knowledge and skills and rapid changes in technology. Corruption and an unfavorable regulatory environment are the other challenges (Adeyeye 2016).

168

Ghana

165

Kenya

151

United Arab Emirates 0

100

Imports in millions US dollars

2.1.3The global context of the SHC market The SHC trade is an important source of clothes for the general population in low and mid-income countries many of which are in the third world. According to (Co data n.d.),the volume of the global wholesale trade in SHC is estimated to be between 2 million and 4 million tonnes per annum. And in 2019, the global market value of second-hand and resale apparel was estimated to be worth USD 28 billion and, it is estimated that by 2024, the market will grow to USD 36 billion (Shahbandeh 2021).

Republic of Korea Source: (OEC n.d.)

Country

2.1.2Factors affecting the growth of the clothing market in Kenya

337

250

150

200

250

Source: (OEC n.d.)

A (Co data n.d.) report ranks Africa as one of the largest SHC markets in the world, and it is thought that 80 % of the continent’s population wear second-hand clothes that are imported mainly from USA, Europe and Asia.

Figure 2.3. Volume of imported SHC into Kenya for the six year period 2015-2019. 200 Volume of SHC imports (Tonnes ‘000)

According to a report by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA Kenya n.d.), Kenya is one of the largest importers of the second-hand clothes in Sub-Saharan Africa for use by its citizens and export to the neighbouring countries. This makes the sector an important contributor to the Kenyan economy both in jobs and taxes paid to the government by the various stakeholders in the value chain and supply lines. In a report published by the Institute of Economic Affairs, Kenya (IEA Kenya), second-hand clothes provide an option for consumers who prefer to wear affordable and trendy clothes in favour of expensive brand new clothes. The IEA report argues that mitumba does not conflict with the local textile firms, but it fills a niche in the clothing market. The report adds that a healthy, dynamic market in the production of clothing will strengthen Kenyan manufacturing without being undermined by the mitumba clothing sector. According to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS 2020), in the six-year period from 2015 to 2019, the volume of SHC imports rose from 111,000 tonnes to 185,000 tonnes, as illustrated in Figure 2.3 This represented a grown of 66%. In the same six year period, the unit price of a tonne of imported SHC fluctuated between Kshs. 91, 700 (USD 906) to Kshs. 96,300(USD 893). The data furthers shows that the corresponding value of SHC imports rose from Kshs. 10 billion (USD 92.7 million) to Kshs. 18 billion (USD 166.7), representing a growth of 80% as illustrated in Figure 2.4.

185

150

177

50 0

136

132

100

111

2015

2016

2017 Year

The KNBS Survey 2020, reasons that the growth in value and volume of SHC into Kenya is driven by overall economic growth and its effect on consumption behaviour resulting from rising private incomes. The SHC industry in Kenya imports on average 8,000, 40 feet containers on an annual basis. These imports reflect the demand for the SHC among Kenyans household and indeed this industry has supply-demand stability.

2019

Source: KNBS Economic Survey 2020

200 150 100

120

122

2016

2017

158

167

2018

2019

50 0

2015

Year

Source: Canva

2018

Figure 2.4. Value of SHC imported into Kenya for the six year period 2015-2019

Value of SHC imports (USD Millions)

2.1.4 The state of SHC market in Kenya

Source: KNBS Economic Survey 2020

CGMA (2013) refers to Porter’s five forces of competitive position analysis as a theory/framework that is ‘based on the concept that there are five forces that determine the competitive intensity and attractiveness of a market’. Figure 2.5 is a representation of the Porter’s five forces. Applying the Porter’s five forces framework to analyze the competition in the second-hand clothing business sector in Kenya, it is apparent that the market is very attractive to traders due to its profitability. The 5 forces for the Kenyan second-hand market are briefly analyzed as follows:

Figure 2.5. Porter’s five forces of competitive position analysis. Supplier power: the suppliers can easily drive prices up as the demand for the secondhand clothes is high.

D 2 . 2 S E CO N

Threat of substitute products or service

E S I C CT A

Competitive rivalry: A visit to various second-hand markets in Kenya would show that many traders more often than offer differentiated products. This keeps them being competitive.

Rivalry among existing competitors

Bargaining power of buyers

B U S I N ES

Threat of new entry: Incumbents in the SHC market in Kenya have strong entry barriers for new entrants through their association, Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya (MCAK). Also capital government requirements and high taxes are other barriers. According to (IEA Kenya n.d.), each importer pays an average of Kshs. 1.5 million per container of secondhand clothes.

Bargaining power of suppliers

H I O N S F A

Buyer power: It may not be easy for buyers to drive prices down basically because there are many buyers of the second-hand clothes from the low-income households.

Threat of new entrants

Source: (CGMA 2013) Threat of substitute products: The substitute for the second-hand clothes would be new imported or locally manufactured clothes. But they are deemed to relatively expensive and of low quality, hence the attractiveness of the SHC market.

Source: Canva

2..2. 1 Current second-hand fashion business practices

2.2.2 Challenges hindering the growth of best practices in the SHC business

According to (financial-dictionary n.d.), business practices are any tactics or activities a business conducts to reach its objectives. As the main objective of a business is to make money, business practices are the ways in which it attempts to do so in the most effective way. The practices are to be adopted by individuals and business should be the best or ethical ones. For the second-hand fashion business, ethical or best business practices are important for activities and processes that need to be done correctly. They are obviously the better way to do things. In the SHC trade, the business practices entail what the various actors in the value chain of the trade do to achieve the business objectives. The actors involved in the second-hand fashion business value chain include: exporters, importers, transporters, wholesalers, retailers, employees and consumers.

The challenges hindering the growth of best business practices are related to the behaviours and actions of the individuals or group involved in the business. Forbes (2013), identifies challenges such as; lack of integrity, dishonesty, untrustworthiness and corruption. These are essentially moral challenges as individuals or groups in the business seeking to make more profits and stay ahead of the competition. Actions like temptations to cut corners, omit information and make false claims erode trust among the various stakeholders in the business. Without trust the business may not be able to effectively compete and it may subsequently fail.

A report from (Oxfam n.d.) suggests that SHC exporters’ best trading practices should ensure among others the following: they only export to poor countries with populations of low purchasing power; they don’t export to countries that act as bases for illegal re-export ; they export to countries with SHC import regulations and implementation procedures so as to help in fighting custom fraud; they don’t export to countries with which their country has no trade relations; they don’t overcharge their customers; they don’t make false claims on their products; they don’t have hidden terms of doing business, and they don’t deal with clothing that is forbidden for export. For the importers, transporters, wholesalers and retailers: the best /ethical business practices should ensure: they all strictly observe second-hand import requirements/regulations; they are not involved in custom duty frauds; they treat their employees with fairness and compensate them well; they provide the best working conditions for their employees; they fully respect their customers and are trustworthy; they are committed to excellence in their operations; they don’t overcharge their customers; they don’t underpay their employees; they provide good working conditions for their employees; they don’t make false claims on their business transactions; they keep their promises with regard to the quality of supplied SHC, quantity and deliver timelines.

For the employees: Whether a person works for a small second-hand fashion business or a big firm, being ethical matters. An article by (Southuniversity.edu 2017), regards the six pillars of a person’s character as; trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The articles also lists a number of ethical principles of good employees such as; integrity, commitment to excellence, leadership, reputation and accountability.

N D H A N D O C S E

C L OT H

and

motivation

for

In the context of this study, a consumer is a person who buys and uses up goods (Consumer n.d.). In this case, second-hand clothes. There are various factors that influence consumer behaviour. In an article shared by (Chand n.d.), these factors include are as shown in Table 2.1.

Influencing Factor

Example

Marketing

Product design and price

Personal

Gender and age

Psychological

Motives for buying

Situational

Physical and social surroundings

Social

Reference group and family

E P U R P E I R R O S T H I N G

Table 2.1. Factors influencing consumer behaviour

D N

S U M E R N O C

U T I L IZ A

2.3.1 Consumer behaviour consumption of SHC

Cultural

Religion and social class

Source: Researcher

26 27

According to (yourarticlelibrary n.d.), consumer behaviour: o Is not static but undergoes constant change; o Varies from consumer to consumer o Varies from region to region and from country to country o Varies from product to product o Reflects status Understanding what motivates consumers to purchase and use certain goods and services is crucial, especially for marketers. According to (Open.lib n.d.), ‘motivation is the inward drive we have to get what we need’.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs /motivation theory and consumption of SHC Our needs and motivations are different at various stages in life as explained by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. According to (CFI n.d.), the theory states ‘that humans are motivated to fulfil their needs in a hierarchical order. This order begins with the most basic needs before moving on to the more advanced needs. The ultimate goal, according to this theory is to reach the fifth level of the hierarchy: self-actualization’. See Figure 2.6.

Source, (Maslow.n.d.) Figure 2.6 Maslow's Hierarchy of needs

Based on the theory, the most basic or physiological needs include; air food, shelter, sleep and clothing. This means people are motivated to buy clothing because they fulfil a basic need.

2.3.2 Current lifecycle of SHC in Kenya Figure 2.7 Current Lifecycle of SHC in Kenya

Trash from other households and other waste sources of solid waste end up in dumpsites

The illustration (Figure 2.7) analyses the current lifecycle of a SHC /textile waste in Kenya. It clearly shows there is no structure for sorting textile waste at the local community level so as to facilitate recycling/re-use/re-purposing.

A new or second clothing from a store is purchased

Textile waste has more than 95% chance of remaining in the dumpsite or worse still being washed away, hence causing adverse environmental effects.

A piece of waste textile/cloth remains that needs disposal

It is then disposed in an all-purpose garbage bag

A new or second clothing from a store is purchased

The trash is collected by contracted garbage collection companies and ferried to the dumpsites Source: Researcher

2.3.3 Impact of indiscriminate disposal of postconsumer textile waste

Based on a report from the Centre for Ecotechnology (CET n.d.), up 95% of all textile have the potential to be reused/recycled/repurposed, but currently only 12-15 % are recycled each year globally. It is thought that the root cause of this disproportionate rate is lack of awareness among individuals about how to sustainably use and dispose the textile products. So, what can individuals do about textile waste? The Centre for Ecotechnology reminds people about a textile waste hierarchy; reduce, re-use, recycle, landfill/dumpsite/incinerator. And the order matters here.

By 2030 it is estimated that a whole 134 million tonnes of textile waste will be discarded per year (BBC n.d.) From a report by (Fibre2fashion n.d.), ‘textiles is the second biggest polluting industry’. When consumers indiscriminately dispose textile waste in garbage, most of it ends up in landfills or dumpsites with major environmental impacts on air, land, rivers and underground water resources. According to (Fibre2fashion n.d.) the harmful effect of textile waste are many and varied as analyzed in Figure 2.8.

Figure 2.8. Harmful effects of textile waste

Source: Fibre2fashion n.d.

2.3.4Adaptable and sustainable practices for unwanted SHC

In order to reduce the post-consumer textile waste from SHC that ends up in landfills, dumpsites of incinerators, a report by (CET n.d.) emphasizes the importance of taking note of the textile waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse, recycle, landfill. In the UK, for example, a report by (Business Waste n.d.), notes that textile waste recycling has become a popular topic. Once collected the unwanted clothes are separated and processed into yarn that be used to make new fabrics and, polyester textiles are shredded into polyester chips that are melted and used to create new polyester fabrics. Unwanted clothes that are deemed to be still wearable are resold, often to foreign countries for their SHC market A report from (Rifo-lab n.d.), indicates that in Italy, 29% of unwanted and old clothes thrown away through the municipal waste bins are recycled into lags, carpets, padding, acoustic and building insulation panels or new clothes. The report adds that 68% is sorted and a marketed for reuse mostly in foreign markets in Africa and Eastern Europe. Only 3% of the total annual textile waste amounting to 1.5 million tonnes is disposed using alternative methods, including incineration or burning. According to (Designscene.net n.d.), textile waste management companies in Porto, a small recycling district in Italy, are using new technologies towards sustainable recycling of consumer textile waste into: knitwear, wool, rags and new clothing. And in 2017, 142 million kg of textile waste was converted into fibres by Porto’s textile waste management firms. Source: Canva

In Kenya, a textile recycling company, Africa Collects Textile (ACT n.d.), recycles the post-consumer unwanted clothing and footwear that it collects, into items such as: new clothes, blankets, towels, poofs, pillow fillings, insulation material, lamp shades, felt, jewellery, tiles, carpets, mats and lately facemasks as their contribution towards combating the spread of corona virus that has caused Covid-19 pandemic. The company has collection points in a few high income suburbs of Nairobi, as well as in supermarkets and education institutions.

Noting that in Kenya, and perhaps in many other countries, that textile waste is not correctly disposed but indiscriminately abandoned on the streets, fields or other hidden places, there need for textile waste management companies to organize the chain of textile waste from individuals in a more linear and traceable way.

C H A P T E R

3 39

A N A L Y S I S O F F I N D I N G S

3. 0 Introduction

The aim of the study was to carry out an investigation into Kenya’s secondhand clothing market with a focus on its products’ life cycle and repurposing. The primary data was collected from respondents mainly through selfadministered questionnaires. This chapter presents an analysis of the feedback from the questionnaires that were received from the respondents. The presentation generally follows the research objectives.

Background i) Number of responses: A total of 200 questionnaires were sent out and 119 responses were received back. This represented a response rate of 59.5%. ii) Gender of respondents: From a total of 102 respondents, finding show that 68 % were women and 29 % were men. iii) Occupation of respondents: Findings show that out of 84 respondents 51 % were employed and 38 % were students. iv) Age of respondents: From the findings, majority of the respondents were aged between 19-23 years at 50 %, followed by those aged between 24-35 years at 39%. v) Trader or consumer? : Findings show that out of the 119 respondents, majority were consumers representing 92%.

F O C U S

M A RK E T

C L O T H I N G

1 3 .

C L O T H E S

• Out of the 52 traders who responded, 50 % estimate that 60-100 % of Kenyans own/wear second-hand clothes. • On what motivates Kenyans to buy second hand clothes, responses from 55 traders included: Affordability/ quality/availability/uniqueness/sizing • On the category of people who buy brand new clothes in Kenya, there were 64 responses, out of which 48 % indicted upper class and 31% indicted middle class. • Out of 66 respondents 94 % indicated that new clothes are imported. • On what business is more lucrative 91 % thought the second-hand business is.

D H A N D ON C E

• Traders were required to identify their main/target customer. There were 41 responses with answers that included: Middle and low income Kenyans/a cross-section of Kenyans/Anyone/Men and women 15-40 /social media followers/other traders/working class An analysis of the above findings show that the target mitumba customers are mostly middle and low income Kenyans aged between 15-40 years.

W I T H

• Traders were asked to describe their nature of business/role in the secondhand market in Kenya. There were 42 responses with answers that included: New and second-hand clothes retailer/ logistics/ a thrift shop owner/ distribution/ selling online/customizing customer’s garments/ reselling mitumba bales These findings show the various players in the second-hand clothes market in Kenya.

A Y N E K

Source: Canva

B U S I N ES

P R

SE C O

-H

D N A

H I O N F A S

3 . 2

E S I C CT

• The traders were required to respond to what they considered to be the most unethical practices in the second-hand clothes business. Responses from 41 respondents included: Tax evasion/bribery/dishonesty/corruption/false claims/over & underpricing/poor adherence to standards/damping of restricted garments/theft • Responding to what fundamental business practices have contributed to business success, there were 38 responses with findings that included: Honesty/ treating employees fairly/ transparency/ commitment/consistency/hard work/ knowledge of products and customers/focus/good customer relationships/keeping up to date • The study wanted to find out want traders considered to be the main factors influencing the second-hand fashion business in Kenya. Analysis of the responses from 45 respondents shows the main factors included: Trade policies /regulations /competition /prices/quality/ fashion trends/ demand/economy/ standard of living/government policy/taxes and licenses/consumer income

Source: Canva

·On the question as to whether they own/wear second-hand clothes, a massive 98 % responded; yes. ·On what motivates them to buy second-hand clothes, findings show that price topped at 975 % as shown in Table 3.1

Convenience

72.3

Aesthetics

69.7

Quality

67.2

Inclusivity

52.1

Sizing

47.9

Trends

42.9

Influencers

80.7

Diversity

82.4

E I R T H

Accessibility

R E P U R P O S I N G

(Percentage%) 97.5

D N

n Price

S U M E R N C O

YES

C L OT H

Motivatio

U T I L IZ A T IO

Table 3.1. Motivation for buying second-hand clothes

O N D - H A N D C S E

Source:

45 Researcher

·On the percentage of the second-hand clothes that they own, the findings show that for 74 % of the 119 respondents, up to 60% of their clothes are second-hand, as shown in Figure 3.1

Figure Percentage of second-hand of total clothes owned 3.1

31 RESPONDENTS 26%

100%

43 RESPONDENTS 36%

45 RESPONDENTS 38%

40-60 %

10-40 %

·On whether they have heard about sustainable fashion, out of 109 respondents, 47 % responded; yes, 36 % responded; no, and 17 % were unsure. ·On whether they know how they could make their clothes last longer/more sustainable; out of 119 respondents, 35 % responded; yes, 49 % responded; no, and 16 % were unsure. ·On how they disposed of their unwanted old clothes/textile waste, feedback was received from 119 respondents who gave a variety of responses that included: Donate/throw in the garbage bin/burn/ exchange/ re-purpose/ dusters ·On where they thought the textile waste goes/ ended to? feedback was received from 119 respondents who gave a variety of responses that included: No idea/ dumpsite/recycled/landfill/incinerators/ riverbanks/streets ·Findings show that out of 119 respondents 95 % indicated they have no special textile waste disposal systems /stations in their local community. ·Out of 119 respondents, 91.6 %, indicated that they would disposal their textile waste in designated collection bins if they were available in their local community. ·Findings show that 61 % of the 119 respondents are aware that indiscriminate disposal of textile waste is a major cause of environmental pollution. ·On the question of how textile waste could be put into better use, responses from 119 respondents included: Recycling/repurposing/unsure/reuse/make new clothes/compost them for manure/ give away

60-100 %

119 TOTAL RESPONDENTS

C O N C L U S I O N A N D R E C O M E N D A T I O N S 49

Conclusion The purpose of this study was to investigate Kenya’s second-hand clothing (SHC) market with a focus on its products’ life cycle. This involved: examining the current clothing market with a focus on the second-hand clothes; examining the current business practices surrounding the SHC, and exploring Kenya’s consumer utilization of SHC and their repurposing. In summary, the study established the following:

o Kenya has a sustained demand for imported second-hand clothes (SHC) both for its citizens and export to the neighbouring countries in East Africa. o According to the Kenya National Bureau fs Statistics (KNBS 2020), the secondhand clothes sector imports an average of 8,000, 40 feet containers annually, and in 2019 the volume of SHC imports was 185,000 tonnes. o The demand for the SHC is fuelled by their availability, high quality and relatively affordable price. o The SHC business value chain has a large number of traders who are involved in importation, transportation and distribution through wholesalers and retailers to the local markets. o Based on the (KNBS 2020) manpower survey report, the SHC sector in Kenya employs at least two million people, and in 2019, the sector contributed Kshs. 12 billion to both the national and county governments, reflecting its economic importance and impact to the country.

o The consumers of the SHC cut across social status and all levels of incomes both in the urban and rural areas. o There is lack of awareness among individuals about how to sustainably use and dispose of unwanted and old textile waste, but individuals are ready and willing to use and dispose them properly, given a chance. o In most parts of the country, especially in towns textile waste is not correctly disposed but indiscriminately thrown in garbage bins or abandoned on the streets, roadsides, field and other hidden places o There is a general consensus that the indiscriminate disposal of unwanted old clothes or textile waste is detrimental to the environment and that the clothes can be reused, repurposed or recycled into a variety of products o In Kenya, there are no dedicated textile waste management companies to organize the chain of textile waste from individuals at the local community level in a structured manner. o Traders pointed out that tax evasion, corruption, false claims, bribery, and dishonesty as some of the most prevalent unethical business practices in the SHC market.

52 Source: Canva

Based on the study findings, it is evident that each year, millions of tonnes of second-hand fashion products are sold worldwide with majority of them finding their way into the third world countries, including Kenya. What cannot be used of these products eventually ends up in incinerators or landfills thus causing damage to the environment. Recycling or creatively reusing them can save valuable resources and protect the environment. The reason as to why this not done can be attributed to low consumer awareness about sustainability and poor collection and disposal structures in these countries. For instance; in most of the local East African communities and specifically Kenya, people are rarely accountable for their textile waste. Typically, they dispose it in garbage bins and eventually the trash ends up in dumpsites and water bodies. There is so far no evidence that a significant amount of textile waste is collected for recycling or re-use although there is great potential for it. People will continue to complain about the adverse effects of environmental pollution due to poor textile waste disposal methods, yet they continue with their improper ways of disposal each and every day.

Source: Canva

D N E A T M IO O C N E

The study findings highlight a number of challenges associated with SHC in Kenya, including lack of consumer awareness about how to sustainably use the SHC and lack of structured collection and disposal of unwanted and old textile waste. In an attempt to address these challenges, the researcher makes the following recommendations: 1) County governments should evaluate the status of their solid waste management systems and consider putting in place mechanisms and structures that will encourage and facilitate the formation of dedicated textile waste firms that shall be involved in the collection, disposal and use of modern technologies to recycle the textile waste from collection centres in the local communities. 2) County governments to consider contracting individuals or firms to develop business plans/proposal for a system that will help improve textile waste management in the local communities through consumer education and the use of dedicated collection stations for the purpose of recycling. The proposed textile waste collection system will be based on personal responsibility of the consumers in a local community. Ideally, this system should allow for the efficient, effective and safe collection of the textile waste, sorting it into different categories as well as its distribution to the appropriate recycling firms to be used as raw material. A system utilizing various communication channels will ensure access to information for the consumers regarding: how to sustainably utilize their clothing/textile; the effects of textile waste and how to monitor the impact of the system so as to ensure continuous improvement. Based on this recommendation, the researcher proposes to develop a business plan for a company that shall be dedicated to collecting textile waste in the local communities; Embakasi, Nairobi Kenya for the purpose of recycling. This is in addition to a brochure, to create awareness on sustainable practices in the use and proper disposal of textile waste.

I M R E

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ETHICAL APPROVAL,CONSENT LETTER AND QUESTIONNAIRE

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QUALITATIVE X QUANTITATIVE SURVEY

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ACT'S FOUNDER INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT Alex Musembi I'm Alex. I'm one of the founders of Africa collect textiles. I'm a Kenyan and together with Elmar Stroomer is a Dutch from the Netherlands. Alex Musembi Our work is to collect used textiles, and footwear for reuse and recycling. We do this through strategic partnership, whereby we place collection bins or collect containers, perhaps you have seen them in our pictures. So far we have about 27 collection points including the village market shopping malls, Strathmore University, restaurants, such as Shamba Cafe in Loresho, Langata link shop in Karen, Karen Catholic Church, Karen Village, we're in estates and soon are coming to malls. Including the junction mall. So we are finalizing the last stage of our contract, and we intend to have 50 collection points where people can drop off their unused clothing, textiles and shoes. What we do with the items after collection is we take it to a warehouse where we do sorting, and from sorting we are able to determine where each material will go. For example, if we have torn denim of course maybe you have seen some of our pictures. We make up so many different types of customized carpet, such as it can be a woman's carpet and depending with the order we receive. Yeah, if we have materials such as a sweater, mainly because in Kenya we have about 14 million or 50 million kids who go to school; from baby class up or grade one to grade eight, form one to four, and even other institutions such as the Kenyan Police Army. They're wearing sweaters. Alex Musembi That material is made of cloth known as acrylic and you know acrylic is a micro plastic and we bring them and if it's torn or ripped... Alex Musembi And once we shred it, it becomes something fluffy and then through chemical mechanical processing we are able to spin it spin it and through spinning able to make a yarn. So then I can make the same shirt again. That's what we call an element of a circular economy to ensure the material is in cost of loop of production. Wearable items of course, it has to flow back again to the, to the market or to the neediest and at a very affordable price. Of course we cannot give it for free, sometimes we donate to the children's home but we do not focus too much on donating clothes, we focus much on establishing the correct need. For example, in institution it can be fees, it can be water, can be health care, so we decide on what is of monetary value. That's what Africa Collect Textiles do. Ann Kendi Kinoti Is all about. I see. So you are not a non-profit? Alex Musembi No, we are a very limited company with various business models. Yeah, when we are

collecting we sound like a nonprofit, of course, because our bins are out there anonymously and to you not to be able to text them anonymously, because of the culture that's around it people like to donate anonymously; because from a report that we did in 2012 - 2013, like Kenyans like or Africans like donating clothes, also in the Lagos. They prefer donating anonymously because of various reasons and maybe I'll try to give this reason, for example in Kenya or in Nigeria. If you'd like to give your friend your clothes, we believe in a lot of voodoo and witchcraft. For example, doesn't go well for you then you start thinking, the cloth that was given to me but, for example, she did something to the clothes and that's why a lot of stuffs are not going to well for me. So that's why people prefer to give out their textiles anonymously to give you know security officers or the house help or something like that. Some people for example also don't appreciate for example, giving, give your cousin, like, why did they not give me like a brand new item and they're giving me a second hand stuff. So there's a lot of stuff around the collection of text and why should we you know collected anonymously. So we are the only company for example in Kenya who collect textiles in an organized and structured manner whereby we are placing bins for people to give out their items and so far so good, it is doing very well over the years. Ann Kendi Kinoti That is good, how do you market yourself? Alex Musembi We are a startup of course, we're a very small company at the moment we are trying to sell nowadays via social media, Facebook ads Instagram, as our message can reach as many people as possible. Maybe to highlight, we are concluding our partnership with Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Almost a million followers on Instagram and Facebook. And we started collecting Green Ranger pants from the pants we started making bugs out of it. Kenya Wildlife Service's, they're going to acquire all the pants for the bags made. Maybe to mention also we secured some funding some investment 400,000 euros. Last year, COVID-19, for like expanding our operation for more drop off points and more people. Ann Kendi Kinoti That's good. That's very good. So is there a market for your products? Alex Musembi We started distributing for example, our carpets to shops. We are partnering, or we partnered with the Columbus conservation Indiana, we can take them out, whereby we are selling our capital. Also, we are selling a lot of course, individuals, for example, who order online, like through our Instagram pages of pages which is doing very well. Also, Candy shop, is opening in May. Lang'ata Linkedshop . So we have a distribution channel why are we, distributing these carpets. For acrylic we have a ready market. We have a processing company that buys kilograms. So we try to ensure that each

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ACT'S FOUNDER INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT component of a product is a product of its own sustainable products, generates revenue. Ann Kendi Kinoti So the revenue is good so far it's doing well? Alex Musebi Because we sell wearable, it's a revenue stream of itself. Because in Kenya we have almost over 50% who live below the poverty line, so they need, like affordable clothing. So that's our revenue compared to just making shoes we generate revenue. Because business has to be sustainable. It doesn't have to sell goods, as much as serving good but again you know it has to, to cover a lot of costs such as administrative costs. Ann Kendi Kinoti That's very true. So you'd say like the carpet is like your biggest sale at the moment? Alex Musembi Yes it's one of the biggest over a period of time. Then we'll launch our own denim carpet, because no one is doing it at the moment and it's being made to order, it’s being customized , which is good for us step by step. Ann Kendi Kinoti That's pretty nice. Very nice. And what would you say is your biggest challenge as a start-up? Alex Musembi There's a lot of challenges at the moment with, especially with this pandemic which created a lot of uncertainty. That's why I say like a, like a we're very lucky for it to start somewhere around March last year. We secured our, our funding first investment so Ann Kendi Kinoti you were ready. Alex Musembi We saved a couple of investments from the Netherlands from the for input Foundation, Italy. That's government funding was very important for us to scale up or to act as a catalyst to boosted our operation where it was. I can imagine if maybe it was March or April, we could not have gotten this money, because we are living in a very uncertain times. At the moment, I can imagine between March and July. Most of our beings, including shopping one. There's just a lot of stuff at during, during that period. And this was one of the greatest challenges, because that means we were collecting zero materials. And the we had to react out as a system, and people know we can do a door to door pickup.

Alex Musembi Those are some of the challenges we've been facing over time and material, becoming in, for example in just a few years and then it's feeling very fast to process material very quickly. So, you find yourself in an operational kind of challenge, and you have to find your way, your warehouse. Ann Kendi Kinoti Do you ever come across a point where you can't deal with the waste that comes from the waste? Alex Musembi because I used to believe this material. This material. At the moment we are concluding our partnership with the Netherlands. We want to ensure even the cut off, we collect and want to do with the items we want to experiment to come up with a material that is homogenous, that is fluffy and is lightweight and it can be used in UniFi, so not just any kind of material to be used to polyphony and because we want something that is very lightweight. Of course it can be fluffy but it cannot be likely that we want something that is also very, very lightweight, and that can only be successful when we, we have done experimenting with it. So, we are on the verge of of concluding our collaboration of partnership and we hope. We're waiting a couple, a couple of steps, then, then we start doing it. So we tried to store material as much as possible we ensure not to burn or to hide or destroy. If we did that then why are we existing doesn't make any sense. Ann Kendi Kinoti Yeah, if you take it back... . Ann Kendi Kinoti Very true. So, what motivated you to start this, Alex? Ann Kendi Kinoti Work with TC. Currently a simple you can check him out simpler. This is why be in NY ml Symphony was one of the largest or Keystone was one of the largest collection of texts in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg. We all do more for example, end up for example in our market, or generally in Kenya and Africa used to come from from the Netherlands, etc. And what happens with this material for example I used. And we thought, then we can find a company that can deal with all kind of textiles. Alex Musembi I used to work with a company last kisii, the Netherlands, 2010 2011. I felt that there's a lot of, there's a lot of second-hand clothing that comes in Kenya. Of course, there's a lot of complaints from the trade as a big quality of the items over time has been, has been

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ACT'S FOUNDER INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT going down it is going down very, very, very bad but but the items, and the means like these items are meant for, for, for disposal, or somewhere in the landfill. And then there's a need to counter these, this system, and to ensure this material for example can collect them, and they can do something with this material. Yeah and that the roadmap. What, what I wanted, I can show you, for example, they still work my vision I want to be just like a Russian. So that motivated me to start a company. Ann Kendi Kinoti That's very nice. So do you feel that you have closed a gap, thus far that you've come. Alex Musembi Because you want to give people decent jobs in an organized system, greater awareness because not so good to split testing, you know, you have to create a certain culture now in terms of why you know you're collecting these tests, and why we, we want to, we should we use and we should usually use them to recycle this is all this is a lot of argument why we are doing it. Either way of countering the first version, because even most of people's homes, even self-defending wardrobe is full of text and some kind of glow that you have not wait for Damien, to give, because your personal availability, you don't know what to do with it. If it's done for example you are confused want to put it in your, in your garbage bag at your home to mix with other liquids. You want to create a system to create a culture of good people to understand text and convert them. Yeah, Ann Kendi Kinoti that's true. Well, that's very good. I think for me the only thing I've noticed from your, from your site's collection points would be that because I'm in Kenya, so it's mostly in like the high end places. Is there a reason for that? Alex Musembi Yeah, there's a reason for that people, for example go to shopping most, number one, a lot of people, people go to church with them so we're also going to be collecting two, for example, and we try to play this based where we feel this traffic, not just the places, as long as we feel our Portella so our affiliates tell us that the village market is because it's quite obvious. We haven't been at the village shopping mall and don't have a recollection of being at the Riviera shopping mall, and there's a reason for that. If you go to reveal a shopping mall, which is next to the village market is totally empty, because no one visit visit at the mall. The mall is like empty. The Empty, empty. Oil Village Market is totally fun. Also, to place a bean field is this topic. And also, also on the other hand, Alex Musembi people who believe a process marketer better people, sustainability issue of recycling to go green. They try to quickly have the issue

Alex Musembi issues. That's why you will not get the place mark a shopping over time have become relevant in the market and as much as the other mode has been coming in such as to reverse mall gadgets if you find that VM is always full. There is a reason for that, what they try to change with the environment. Ann Kendi Kinoti And what would happen if you take them to like estates that within, let's say the like Eastland’s because that is like a lot of clothes even from the people who sell second-hand, You know, because Alex Musembi there's a lot. There's a lot. For example, this project is a very expensive venture, not to call like an upfront investment. and that's where we are going and that's why we were sitting in the second round of law kind of investment, so fast. Alex Musembi So for us it was more of taking it slow. And then, as you Alex Musembi cost me 50,000 Kenya shillings per frame and they will. So you can imagine, if one person is costing me 50 50k If I have 1000 Then imagine what it means in terms of cost. Ann Kendi Kinoti Okay. I see. This was really nice. I like thank you so much. I actually feel like I'd want to work with you, if you, let's Alex Musembi we expanding opportunity you want to give people so design jobs not just jobs, Ann Kendi Kinoti especially, especially in the in the point of awareness because I feel like most Kenyans don't really know that the fashion industry is causing a lot of pollution, and, you know, problems and Alex Musembi including you and nobody gas is a system where, for example, drinking water. And you dash away like that. That means, is that we have for example, during, during one day take you have a time to chill the candle or something like when people don't care, let's find that in Kenya, in every corner there's a lot of garbage. Adapting to every corner of Kenya. Small duping save happy. People don't end up doing things can't be replaced become productive. So, we don't care what is created. We first to complain about the

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ACT'S FOUNDER INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT issue of flooding in the cities, but we don't know why, as much as even we know why it was quick. Of course, plastic, exhale, blocking the drainage system. That's what we keep repeating the same cycle. When, when, for example complain about cancer from the, from the food that we eat from the cows from the raw on to, to understand about a cycle, why, why these high rapid of, for example, cancer cancer in the country. Because eating fish. You can imagine how our lakes and rivers and oceans. Except the domains, and these are plastic, these vitiating this plastic so they're the same person is going to be this fishing place in Java. Cafe. But you're not eating an organic. Organic. So, with assembly, keep complaining. You know we're becoming sick of the way we try to create this awareness and to change this narrative. You're facing this problem, Amanda. Ann Kendi Kinoti Do you feel like the government should play that role at doing this. Yeah, cuz I think like Rhonda that has the cleanup. Every learned model Alex Musembi that they feel happen for example in African in Kenya is a very large institution of course the government and the government is your enemy. But of course the government, the people who have been mandated to, you know, they've been given we've given them power, or certain mandate to run certain activity on behalf of the populace. There has to be policies which which need to exist. I know a lot of companies for example, that allows the water waste, industrial waste to end up in reverse. That's why the river is very polluted river it was also joining up to the Netherlands very polluted. Ann Kendi Kinoti If you're well that is the government Alex Musembi of that as well. The government is aware of that and you can imagine how as much as for example Neema want to go to for example today my to complain why or to Brookside, how they're dispersing their waste, then you're given a certain amount like a tip, and then you remain quiet, so people end up, you know, this is the number one priority. Nowadays, for example in Kenya, when we are wearing masks. Some people must understand why we why we are wearing masks. Masks because if you're police. You're in the wrong side of the lawyer, you're not having to keep up to realise you like knowing you wearing your mask is protecting you're protecting yourself and you're protecting you're protecting me. So, so to understand this kind of behaviour has to change, or change, just to never change in a day. A lot of time and sensitise. Ann Kendi Kinoti I feel like the youth of today are, you know, trying to be more aware about these issues. And that taking up, you know, some changes like I personally only buy when I need. So like, that's the first step that I thought I can take, because currently were even

sustainable fashion is very expensive for a student. It's not something you can just decide, oh I'm going to buy those jeans the cost like what 200 pounds. Ann Kendi Kinoti You know, Alex Musembi goes with the price. Yeah. He and his brother micro plastic, you end up buying nowadays a brand new for example dress costs 150 shillings, but I just know, life span after two to three months for example, lifestyle, and to buy a new one. You asked to counter this effect of fast fashion. Ann Kendi Kinoti But there was this notion that the people in the high end, areas like they wouldn't, they're not so quick to tap into this new, you know, recycling, and upcycling version of sustainability because they feel it's not luxurious, like it's not something new, you know, you build something from, from scratch, you know, Why would I buy the new module, Alex Musembi imagine, companies like H&M. I think they're not sustainability and recycling, no people. Alex Musembi After profit. You want to make a killing in the market. And that's the problem. That's like a huge, huge problem you can find like Alex Musembi in the land feed and that's why I feel like the government has to play a role. Ann Kendi Kinoti And then brands as well. The brands as well now that you've mentioned, I feel like if these luxury brands actually take it upon themselves to make it their number one priority. Most of these customers are very loyal so I think they would actually be willing to Alex Musembi take me to court to apply you can scan, and to know that the process is the second or something we are adopting with the with the shepherd bag, create a system to know like this stuff. And so I feel like even companies like H&M figure need to come up with a system like this, to ask about, so that when I always use for example in Kenya, and it's less, and that clock and we've done to them and because extra some materials such as let's say cotton Aveda and they can make like a brand new cloth from the material so our product has to be sustainable. So,

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ACT'S FOUNDER INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT Ann Kendi Kinoti the QR code is going to say like from which country you mean. Alex Musembi Yeah, for example, for for shared record life. Perhaps we are not allowed to share that bit of the bar but understand you that feature we had one shot but we don't know what disclaimer I will share with you. It will have a QR code. There was a guy or person who was wearing that day, that pant trouser was working for example, I want you in the industry Wildlife Trust, the elephant. Of course, we'll have an issue with the second owner of this getting this vibe, and we'll be there that owner, you know, something like that so there'll be a system Ann Kendi Kinoti like a store. Do you feel. Do you feel like that will in no way make someone feel like, you know, because I don't know the luxury side of fashion, they're very exclusive very exclusive so if that information is Alex Musembi in a very slow pace, but it's a change yeah as much as less before we look down, But the sooner the people not adopted in the next vestibule change. Ann Kendi Kinoti Know what's his, I mean his form of class so if they're like someone in in Africa was putting it on like should I really, You know that, that type of thing if that information is there. Do you think Alex Musembi it's changing over time, racism, for example. Racism has existed over a period of time, but it's not as bad as it was 100 years ago, Africans or blacks were treated as a less human being. And that's why we were slaves. These European countries. The American France and England. But over time, before becoming questions. I noticed racism. But, yeah, but not people becoming questions that people, even the white are starting, embracing the African to start appreciating they're also human being. Yeah, so, so as a surgeon, returning 200 years to come Ann Kendi Kinoti to do Your bins have QR codes that Alex Musembi we have already used our first prototype. We have to experiment and to see. Yeah, it's working so some test is working. So that's Ann Kendi Kinoti when I was thinking, you can have the QR code, so that, you know, For those who, you know, want to read more about, you know, sustainability, they can just get the information and how it's done, you know, it's very quick because even if I don't do need today I can always just plan and be like, Oh, okay. All right, you know, and just go on my way but it's you've planted a thought in my mind

Alex Musembi that some people will appreciate it. Over time, people feel like ripple effects them coming, so everything is a process is a step by step, and it's a good thing I feel, what we're doing we in the right place and that was the Ann Kendi Kinoti last question. If there was the collection company who could now come to you and give you the once the company grows, is that something that you guys, you know, leading up to, to become like, I don't know if you've seen this country. This small town in Italy, where they do a lot of you know searching colour sorting recycling, they've been doing it for a very long time. Yeah. Is that like the vision?.... Ann Kendi Kinoti because you do the sorting, and you do the collection is that time you're looking to, you know, sort out one specific detail of it, like to take care of one specific detail? Alex Musebi at the moment, at the business model is a it's a collection company. Okay. At the same time it is a sorting company. At the same time, is a processing company. What normally happens in European in the Netherlands. If your collecting company is a sorting company the items are different. Alex Musembi That's why. At the moment we are doing all this activity because we are small. Yeah. But then, as time goes, it has to change. Yeah, Alex Musembi so act to act will remain as a, as an entity as a collecting company can be like the next for product so we started giving our product names. For example, The carpet is known as the next so it cannot be our Capital IQ test and so there has to be even a business there has to be like, formulating company tests. Namely, academic academic. That's how you distinguish not coming it's time maybe 10 years to come. The two things have to change. Ann Kendi Kinoti So the idea is to remain as a collection. And then probably collaborate, Collaborate with companies that do the processing and that makes sense. All right, thank you so much, Alex personally thank you, for joining me, and I just need you to confirm that you know you agreed to this interview, because we started before, you know, the consent. Alex Musembi And the moment I acknowledge that. You're a student and this is crucial, as a company, this kind of information we have to give out goes out to to to people. Maybe these dissertations will come in handy for our students. So I can show you some adverse impacts. Down with street TV or delineation was done that was the outlet to share this information with you for free already Ann Kendi Kinoti Thank you so much for joining me, I know it's very early but enjoy the rest of your day. Alex Musembi Good afternoon.

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