A joint initiative by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) prompted the Danish government (DANIDA) into formulating a programme of assistance to South Africa in Cleaner Production in 1996. Five major industrial sectors were targeted, one of which was the textile industry. The Cleaner Textile Production Project (CTPP) was initiated in June 2000 and ended in June 2003. A life cycle approach was adopted for this project to ensure the careful examination of all the impacts of a particular textile end product, from raw materials extraction through to the end use and final disposal. The CTPP therefore focused on the entire textile pipeline, but concentrated mainly on cotton growing and textile manufacturing, as this is where the highest environmental impacts occur. The main aim of the project was to reduce the negative environmental impact of the textile industry, both at the cotton growing stage and the manufacturing stage, through a preventative approach. The DANIDA CTPP was successfully implemented within South Africa. Not only did the textile industry benefit from the project, but also local government and other organisations such as tertiary education institutions and research organisations. One of the main outcomes of the CTPP was the establishment of the Clothing and Textile Environmental Linkage Centre (CTELC), jointly funded by the dti and DANIDA for 3 years, which will continue to provide assistance to the textile sector within South Africa. In addition, those companies that have realised the benefits of cleaner production will continue to lead by example.