Beyond waste: People, Materials and What We Leave Behind

What happens to the things we consume once we no longer want them — and who deals with what we leave behind?

At the centre of this exhibition are the works of Nigerian photojournalist and sociologist Oyewole Lawal and Kenyan documentary photographer Edwin Ndeke. Bringing together projects from Lagos and Nairobi, their collaborative storytelling shines a light on waste pickers: an often-overlooked workforce that plays an essential role in collecting, recovering, and recycling materials from growing urban waste streams.

Their photography provides the starting point for a wider conversation about our relationship with waste. Moving from the experiences captured in their images, the programme explores the systems that produce waste and the environmental and social consequences that follow, with a particular focus on textiles and fashion.

Together with researchers, recycling practitioners and artists, we will look at both the challenges — from textile waste and chemicals to patterns of production and consumption — and the alternatives. Through conversation, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, visitors can explore recycling and circular approaches, natural dyes, sustainable creative practices, and different ways of thinking about the materials we produce, use, and discard.

The evening invites us to look beyond waste itself and consider the people, choices and systems behind it — and what we might do differently.

Building on the legal and accountability conversation of 2 November, this event shifts attention towards the people, places and lived experiences behind environmental harm. Photography becomes an entry point for discussing climate justice in a way that is accessible beyond professional climate and legal communities.

The programme has three layers:

Artist conversation: Behind the images
– Oyewole and Edwin: Introduction to the photographers, their work and the communities and environmental challenges documented.
Moderated conversation: From Waste to Systems
– Connecting visual storytelling with climate justice, environmental accountability and ethical representation.
Participatory element
– Hands-on activities allow visitors to respond to the work, contribute their perspectives or explore how visual storytelling can be used for climate engagement and advocacy.

Programme:

16:00 – 16:30 Doors open, registration and welcome

16:30 – 17:00 Opening and introduction to artists

17:00 – 17:30 Conversation/panel

17:30 – 18:15 Participatory element

18:15 – 19:00 Networking with drinks and exhibition viewing

About the organisers

The Hague Humanity Hub is a not for profit foundation based in The Hague, the international city of peace and justice and home to hundreds of organisations working towards a better word. We offer an open and inclusive platform for changemakers to connect both locally and internationally, building bridges across themes, sectors, and disciplines.