In South Africa, only 16 per cent of plastic is recycled. The remaining 84 per cent ends up in landfills, on the side of the road or eventually polluting rivers and oceans.

South-African based high fashion startup MicGalaw is showing how businesses can both help reduce pollution and also make a profit from doing so. With its own little niche in the recycling industry, MicGalaw up-cycles discarded plastic into leather-like bags and other accessories.

The brand was co-founded by two women from the south of Johannesburg,  Phumudzo Muthanyi and Mbali Mokgosi. Muthanyi and Mokgosi have said that that they were inspired to recycle plastics because it smothered their town and so far it wasn’t being recycled in any major way. They added that it has taken them about three years to understand the art of working with plastics.

Springwise