Creative upcycling and environmental sustainability of textile waste for wedding décor at Bawku Technical Institute Ghana

In this contemporary era where the global fashion industry’s waste threatens environmental stability, upcycling emerges as a critical response. The effective upcycling of fabric offcuts presents an ongoing challenge for textiles and fashion institutions in Ghana, revealing a research gap concerning the specific pedagogical strategies required. This gap undermines the potential of vocational education to generate actionable solutions to the pervasive textile waste problem, perpetuating a cycle of disposal over sustainable innovation. Addressing this gap, the study presents a creative upcycling intervention transforming fabric waste into wedding décor. Employing a studio-based artistic research methodology, the project engaged students and staff at Bawku Technical Institute. Participants transformed institutional fabric offcuts into high-value wedding décor through a hands-on process of collection, design ideation, and construction. Evaluations from students, tutors, and community users revealed transformative outcomes. Key findings include a profound perceptual shift among students, who reconceived waste as a valuable resource; the acquisition of practical sustainable design skills; and the décor’s successful cultural acceptance at a local wedding. The study concludes that creative upcycling is a potent pedagogical tool for embedding circular economy principles at BTI. It is recommended that the institute formally integrate this model into its curriculum, establish a ‘Material Innovation Hub’ for waste, and foster partnerships with local dressmakers to create a sustainable, enterprise-led cycle of material reuse within the Bawku community.