Our clothes impact the environment, and their material composition is a big part of the problem; 45% of the fashion industry’s emissions are attributed to fiber extraction and processing. Cotton is still the most preferred option in spite of estimates that making a simple cotton T-shirt requires 2700 liters of water, enough drinking water for one person for 900 days! If a natural fiber like cotton could have such dire consequences, one could only imagine the adverse effects of petroleum-based fabrics that make up the majority of the fashion industry.
The 2023 Sankalp Global Summit provided a timely platform for critical deliberations on fashion sustainability. In a session called ‘A Circular Wardrobe: Transforming Material Choices for a Regenerative Future’, moderated by Mr Siddharth Lulla, Principal, Intellecap, prominent figures in the fashion and textile world converged to discuss the pressing need for a circular approach to fashion materials.
Left to right: Mr Siddharth Lulla, Principal, Intellecap, Ms Priya Shah, General Partner, Theia Ventures, Mr Rohan Batra, Chief Manager- Sustainability & CSR, Marks and Spencer, Mr Harshit Kakkar, Head of Marketing and Public Relations, Kakkar Spinning Mills, Mr Bheem Kumar, Head, Fabric Innovation Cell, Shahi Exports, Ms Shikha Shah, Founder, AltMat
The Ecosystem Approach
Bheem Kumar of Shahi Exports, a leading manufacturer, offered a unique perspective from the industry’s frontline. He emphasized the importance of understanding brands’ sustainability goals and the imperative for manufacturers to meet these demands. To serve these brands effectively, manufacturers must stay updated on the latest materials and innovations in the sustainability space, demonstrating a commitment to aligning with the changing industry landscape.
Innovators acknowledged the shift adopted by manufacturers from a focus on efficiency to a commitment to innovation, reflecting the industry’s changing priorities.
Priya Shah from Theia Ventures highlighted the increasing need for circularity in regulations and stressed that 60% of fashion industry fabric is petroleum-based, emphasizing the urgency of the matter. Shah detailed the venture fund’s support for two pioneering innovations, Canvaloop and altM. Both of these India-based companies make use of agricultural waste to create fibers, in addition to experimenting with alternate plant-based fibers like hemp.
Rohan Batra from Marks and Spencer voiced his concern on scalability of innovations. He noted that for a brand as large and established as Marks and Spencer, transitioning to alternative materials is a significant decision. “If an innovation is not scalable, it can only result in capsule collections, which are more suitable for niche designer brands.”
The Onus is on Innovators
Graham Ross from Blocktexx recycles textile waste by using a proprietary technology that separates polyester and cotton materials back into raw materials of PET and Cellulose for reuse as new products. Ross shared his experiences of developing these circular materials while underscoring the distinctive characteristics of their innovative materials.
Shikha Shah, founder of AltMat, an alternate materials company, underlined the importance of aligning with established industry value chains when developing solutions. This, she said, is crucial for the solutions to be scalable. “Brands can’t risk the aesthetic because it’s the fashion industry. The onus should not be put just on brands, but also on innovators.” Shikha stressed that when transitioning to commercialization, viability is a non-negotiable factor. “The impact may be intensive, but without commercial viability, the innovation remains a mere concept.” When asked how one can prove the circularity of materials, Shikha candidly remarked “Sometimes, it may be more expensive to prove that we are sustainable than to actually build the technology for it!”
What does the future hold for alternative materials?
Harsit Kakkar from Kakkar Spinning Mills addressed the question of whether we are nearing the point of creating apparel exclusively from recycled materials. He emphasized the importance of engaging with brands to bridge the gap and integrate circularity into their existing practices. “Seeing the recycled materials being good enough to become products, to be on shelf, makes us feel proud.”
The single thread that bound the discussion together was the necessity of materials to be regenerative in nature. This essentially means that rather than depleting the natural resources, they should replenish it. This can be done by shifting from conventional to regenerative agriculture for growing natural fibers, by making use of sustainably-sourced bio based and recycled fibers, or testing and adopting new generation environmentally friendly materials.
In order to achieve these objectives, Siddharth Lulla from Intellecap mentioned the initiative of Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF) to develop an ambitious project “Accelerating Circular & Regenerative Economy (ACRE)” with a mission to establish the business case and drive the adoption of circular and regenerative materials.
