A Field Visit to the Egyptian Clothing Bank

Supervised by PUA’s Student Activities Department, students from the Faculty of Arts and Design had a field visit to the Egyptian Clothing Bank in Cairo, aiming to learn about clothing recycling methods and mechanisms for utilizing used materials to create artistic pieces that contribute to promoting the concept of sustainability.

The program began with a comprehensive introductory tour covering the Bank’s vision, concept, and objectives, in addition to a detailed presentation of its key activities and initiatives for community service, and its role in spreading the culture of recycling. The visit included a special tour inside the raw materials rooms, where students witnessed a live demonstration of the processes of sorting and classifying fabrics and various materials in preparation for recycling.

Students also participated in an interactive session titled “From Donation to Creation”, which included an explanation of the workings of the “ALMA” digital platform, and a mini-workshop on methods for transforming used clothing into new materials usable in design, alongside a presentation of innovative art models made from recycled scraps. The program concluded with a practical volunteering session where students participated in the sorting, packing, and packaging of clothes ready for distribution.

Finally, students took part in an advanced practical workshop on textile recycling to design and manufacture new clothing from used materials, where they learned the techniques used in cutting, shaping, and treating recycled fabrics to produce wearable pieces, reinforcing the link between their academic experience and practical application in the field of sustainable fashion design.