After a successful first edition of the Circular Design Challenge (CDC) in 2018 — where Mumbai-based label, I Was a Sari, was declared the winner — this year, the focus is on start-ups working towards renewable fashion.
The Circular Changemakers programme, an offshoot of Reliance Industries’ Fashion for Earth initiative, put six finalists through a three-module bootcamp led by industry experts. Topics discussed included capital raising and how to pitch their product. They’re now gearing up to present their business model to a panel of investors on August 22, Sustainable Fashion Day at LFW Winter/Festive 2019. Here, they address issues of sustainability in the industry.
Your answer to 2,750 litres of water being used to make one cotton T-shirt, and polyester releasing microplastics with every wash? Our easily processable textile fibres such as CanvaHemp® and CanvaBanana, are made using agro-waste sourced from farmers. We find that it uses 7,000 litres less water for every kilo of cotton. - Shikha Shah, Canva Fibre Labs, Ahmedabad
How do we address the fact that 350 million shoes end up in landfills globally? Our company refurbishes discarded shoes into trendy slippers and provides them to disadvantaged communities. - Shriyans Bhandari, Greensole, Navi Mumbai
How can we recycle industrial/textile waste water? I’ve developed an energy-efficient, low-cost treatment plant that cuts costs by over 50%. - V T Fidal Kumar, JSP Enviro Pvt. Ltd, Chennai
How do you help women access eco-friendly sanitary pads in India? I’ve created a single-platform technology to process natural fibre into highly-absorbent pulp. Our sanitary pads have saved 10 million tonnes of plastic waste and provided additional wages to farmers. - Tarun Bothra, Saathi Eco Innovations, Ahmedabad
How can fashion trend forecasting be backed with data? With Market and Fashion Intelligence Tools, that use images, behavioural data and textual descriptions on social media, and information mined from retail sites, brands can keep up with future trends and consumption patterns. - Ganesh Subramanian, Stylumia Intelligence Technology, Bengaluru
Where does garment production waste come from, and what does it contain? I’ve worked on a software that connects waste information end-to-end. Garment factories get to know how to sort their waste based on market feedback, and recyclers get to buy it more efficiently from source. - Ann Runnel, Reverse Resources, Estonia
