WeCanChangeOurWorld and TCB: Collaborating for the greater good
Author: Taking Care of Business (TCB)
Taking Care of Business (TCB) Remake team designs a winning outfit for the Eco-Logic Awards
November 2024
WeCanChangeOurWorld (WCCOW) in collaboration with Taking Care of Business (TCB) made a splash at this year’s Eco-Logic Awards thanks to an outfit designed and made by TCB’s Remake team. In the Remake programme, seamstresses are trained to run viable small businesses using donated, excess fabric, second-hand and damaged clothing. This contributes to the circular economy as more than 100 billion new garments are made every year, with vast numbers of these never sold and sent straight to landfill or incineration.
Sethu Mchithakali and Shaun (Suno) Smith, from TCB, who designed Cheryl’s dress, with Cheryl Harper.
The Eco-Logic Awards showcases and supports those who provide products, services and interventions that are ‘Good for People and Planet’. Cheryl Harper, editor and founder of the We Can Change our World online publication, was invited to the awards by the Spar Group as their VIP guest to promote their growing sustainability programmes. Harper says, “They gave me the go-ahead to wear whatever I wanted to this glamourous event. I was delighted that the TCB Remake team offered to make my fantastic dress,” she says. “They did everything, including the shoes, earrings and bead work. It was amazing working with the team, the way they designed the outfit and put it together was such fun. The best part is that the dress was made from offcuts, donated jeans, waste materials and bits and pieces that would have ended up in landfill.” she says.
Mpudi Mdubane, marketing manager at The Spar Group and Cheryl Harper
“Everyone at the awards stopped me and raved about my outfit. David Parry-Davies, host of the awards and editor of The Enviropaedia publication, with his team, announced that I won the Remake/Recycle Fashion category,” says Harper.
Woolworths customers supplied the recycled denim which made up most of the dress as part of their denim recycling campaign.
Sefako Mathibe (Woolworths), Cheryl Harper and Dineo Ramasobane (Woolworths)
“I want to thank TCB very much for allowing their fantastic Remake team to design and make my outfit for this wonderful event. WCCOW is all about collaboration and connecting for the greater good and this was such an incredible success and got so much exposure for TCB at this very prestigious and influential event,” she says.
From left to right:
Candice Burgess - King Of The Jungle PR
Cheryl Harper – We Can Change our World
Tony Budden - The Hemporium
Mariette Wheeler - Dept. of Education WC Marine Science
Danielle Cronje - Mosselbank River Conservation Team NPC
Jane Lourens - BiomimicrySA