HYDERABAD: In an era when almost every week brings in new trends and styles and new items are being made available for people to buy at the cheapest rates, consumers are having to update their wardrobes constantly. However, fast fashion is quickly becoming one of the biggest waste contributors.
To address this, Hyderabad-based startup, ‘Holywaste by Oorvi Sustainable Concepts’, which is best known for giving a new lease of life to flower waste is moving to the textile and dry waste category.
Finding a sustainable way to dispose of post-consumer waste, especially for versatile and widespread materials such as textiles and fabrics, has always been a challenge. The first step in the initiative for the startup was collecting the dry waste material, which they conducted on March 25 and 26.
One of the co-founders, Maya Vivek, tells TNIE, “After the success of our last project, we were looking for possibilities in the post-consumer waste space. We collaborated with a Chennai-based company, Wasted 360 Solutions, and Gaiaa Living. In the first part of the initiative, we organised the drive, during which we collected around 500 kg of textile and fabric waste.”
Like with any other waste, sorting and segregation are the first steps in the plan, says Maya. “The first category is high-end branded clothes, which we are looking to sell to thrift stores. The second category of clothes will be sent to the community sales where we sell them at bulk prices,” she adds.
While environmental impact and protection are a big part of their culture, the desire to effect social change is also high on their list. “As we received a lot of clothes for children, we will be donating them to the orphanages and the less fortunate. The rest will be transferred to the fabric recyclers or the up-cyclers who can make something new of the waste,” she mentions.
Understanding that even small efforts can create big change, Maya states that they will be looking for local recycling establishments to cut down on the carbon footprint caused by transportation.
Speaking on textile pollution, she says the impact is quite huge as most of them are not made of cotton or natural fibres. Polyester and nylon remain in landfills as long as the plastics, and take a similar time to decompose. Hence there is a need to tap into effective management of textile waste, she adds.