Reliance Industry is now aiming for a sustainable path with its new project under which used plastic bottles will be converted into clothes. With the help of fashion designers and brands, the conglomerate is focusing on making ‘sustainable clothing’ more accessible and affordable.
Vipul Shah, the COO of the petrochemicals unit of Reliance, said, “For us, sustainability is not a fashionable word, we are making fashion out of it and it is a sustainable business. It is time we look at sustainability beyond corporate social responsibility.”
RIL recently launched a new brand under the name of R Elan, a fashion brand that uses eco-friendly fibre made from plastic. The manufacturing of the clothes is done using biofuels and pre-dyed fibres which reduce the carbon footprint by eliminating chemical and water discharge. For this project, the company has partnered with brands Raymond, Arrow, Wrangler and Lee.
The petrochemical market is gearing up for the challenges that may arise in the industry due to the US-China trade war and US-Mexico dispute which has already disrupted the global supply. The industry experts, on the other hand, are of the view that the demand for recycled polymers will increase as global brands are now largely looking for sustainable products.
Prada, the Italian label which is famous for its nylon bags has decided to make a switch to recycled material and the British brand, Burberry recently launched a collection that was made of green yarn.
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RIL is also working out a way along with Kumar to further recycle the fashion clothing products so as they don’t end up in the garbage, polluting the environment again.
Customers in the developed countries are opting for sustainable fashion, even if they have to pay more of it; whereas the Indian consumer is still reluctant about the same and does not want to shell out extra money for ethical fashion.
“The demand for these products will grow, but nobody is going to pay a premium for sustainable products. We have to create a mass movement with the right pricing that makes commercial sense. Premium pricing for sustainable clothing will not lead to a substantial change, which is what the environment needs,” added Shah.
Designer Narendra Kumar is collaborating with Alcis Sports to come up with a new collection of sustainable gym wear and work wear using R| Elan’s eco-friendly fibre. Addressing the issue of sustainability, Narendra Kumar said, “There is a low recognition among consumers for sustainability. Most consumers are yet to understand the magnitude of the environmental issues we face. So we have worked to incorporate elements of fashion but made it functional and affordable.”
RIL is also working out a way along with Kumar to further recycle the fashion clothing products so as they don’t end up in the garbage, polluting the environment again.
Many global brands have now started making their products more sustainable and environment-friendly but India still has a long way to go.
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