The Or Foundation, a Ghanaian non‑profit focused on environmental justice and circular fashion, will publicly launch its new recycled textiles platform, Foose Materials, at the Material Matters event during London Design Week from 15‑17 September 2026.
Foose Materials will debut two new product lines – Cassaboard, a biocomposite fibreboard made from shredded post‑consumer textiles blended with cassava binders, and Tarnty, a circular t‑shirt yarn created from unsold t‑shirts sourced at Kantamanto Market in Accra. Both materials are designed to divert waste from one of the world’s largest secondhand clothing markets, where roughly 15 million garments arrive weekly.
Cassaboard’s superior sound‑absorption qualities make it ideal for the Foose Acoustics line, which includes bookshelf speakers and geometric acoustic panels. Each panel’s bright colours come entirely from recycled textiles, eliminating the need for additional dyes. Tarnty, on the other hand, is suitable for knitting, crochet, weaving and other crafts, and will be showcased alongside woven products produced with Northern Ghanaian weaving communities.
By launching Foose Materials in London, The Or Foundation aims to create new value streams, generate dignified work for the Kantamanto community and help remediate the waste crisis that has led to landfill piles, clogged waterways and littered beaches in Ghana.
Material Matters, a cross‑media platform that promotes material intelligence in architecture and design, will host the event at the former industrial warehouse UNLOCKED Shoreditch on Curtain Road. Admission is free, but all visitors must register online or at the fair.
Looking ahead, The Or Foundation plans to continue its research and advocacy work, leveraging its expertise to drive policy change and brand accountability while expanding its circular economy initiatives.
