UNIDO Southern Africa Project: Regional Inception Workshop

From 12 to 14 November, the Africa Institute for Environmentally Sound Management of Hazardous and Other Wastes hosted the Textiles and Garments Circular Economy Regional Inception Workshop in Johannesburg as part of the UNIDO Southern Africa Project. 

Project stakeholders from South Africa, Lesotho, Madagascar and Ethiopia joined together to attend this three-day workshop. Valuable project updates were shared, challenges and benefits were discussed and it was an excellent opportunity to connect and engage.

ZDHC attended this workshop in person and gave an introductory presentation, followed by a panel discussion with BLuWin, Levi’s Stauss and the Ethiopian National  Project Executing Entity on implementing the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme in Africa and beyond. 

On the second day, Dr Siva Pariti from BluWin explored the main features of a sustainable chemical management system and the importance of the ZDHC Guidelines. As part of the project, BluWin has already conducted CMS and Wastewater Management Training and provided technical assistance to participating facilities in South Africa and Ethiopia. These activities will continue in 2025 in Lesotho and Madagascar.

This workshop has been vital for the successful continuation of the Circular Economy Project. ZDHC is proud to be working in collaboration with UNIDO and Southern African industry stakeholders for a more sustainable future.