Recycling solid waste from local leather footwear production in Ghana through art

Abstract

Globally, footwear manufacturing is considered a highly polluting industry due to its generation of hazardous solid waste. Nevertheless, there is limited work conducted on footwear related waste in Ghana. The objectives of this study were to investigate the factors that influence the generation of solid waste, the characteristics and the utilisation of solid waste generated by local footwear producers in selected metropolises in Ghana. The study also experimented with recycled art approaches using the solid wastes identified. Qualitative research and practice-led approaches were used for different objectives of the study. Case study and art experimentation designs were employed for the qualitative and practice-led aspect of the work respectively. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and reflective journaling. Data was analysed through data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing. Findings revealed that footwear patterns influenced leather offcut generation the most. Footwear buffing dust generation was also influenced by sole type and work setting. Leather offcuts in Kumasi had less defects and offered more variety in terms of colour, size, shape, and texture than leather offcuts in Tamale. Reuse of leather offcuts and footwear buffing dust was low among respondents with disposal at landfill preferred. Leather offcuts created varied texture effects in 2D artwork. While footwear buffing dust possessed all the material characteristics necessary for casting, the material worked for modelling with limitations. It is concluded that the generation of leather offcuts and footwear buffing dust depend on footwear related factors; and these materials have characteristic features that offer opportunities for recycled art. Nevertheless, their usage is limited among local footwear producers and footwear buffing operators. Therefore, recycled artists should collaborate with art educational institutions to research into new design for waste approaches.