OOTD: An eco-friendly bag that’s been ‘Restored for Good’

When one thinks about waste generation, the image that crops up is heaps of plastic trash in landfills. But hidden in all the debris is another kind of waste that accounts for almost 3% waste generated by households in India – TEXTILE WASTE!

The Indian Textile Journal reports that more than 1 million tons of textiles are thrown away each year in the country, a small but significant part of the 92 million tons of textile waste discarded globally. With these alarming numbers, fast fashion’s detrimental impact on the environment is a growing cause of concern worldwide.

While the concepts of thrift stores and sustainable fashion are slowly gaining popularity, one sure-shot way to have positive footprints on this issue is by applying the 5’R’s of sustainability – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle – to clothes and textiles. With this is mind, Akshayakalpa Organic brings forth a sixth ‘R’ that can help you take responsibility of your own textile trash – ‘RESTORED FOR GOOD’!

An initiative started on Akshayakalpa farms, ‘Restored for Good’ encourages patrons to bring along their old clothes during their visit to the farm.  These clothes are converted to eco-friendly bags and pouches – giving them a new lease on life and purpose.

The impact of ‘Restored for Good’ over the years has been multi-dimensional. Not only does the initiative help reduce the amount of textile being discarded, the reusable, eco-friendly bags help minimize single-use plastic bags. These unique, bright and often colourful bags make for a perfect way to carry back your organic vegetables and herbs from the farm and also serve as a great companion on future shopping expeditions too.

‘Restored for Good’ is an initiative that is heralded by a group of passionate women on the farms. The small fee charged for stitching of the bags helps create a source of ancillary incomes for them, while also lauding their tailoring skills. With a backstory as intriguing as that of these bags, they also make for great gifting options for your friends, family and loved ones.

So, what are you waiting for? Book a visit to the farm, bring along your old clothes and let us ‘Restore’ them for ‘Good’.

References:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/burgeoning-problem-textile-waste-need
https://earth.org/statistics-about-fast-fashion-waste/