Circular Economy

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The Ellen Mc Arthur foundation defines a circular economy as one in which the traditional “linear “ model of designing good  involves utilising resources from the earth for production/design , then later discarding after the goods are finished. The principle of circularity envisions a circular model of design in which the previous actions of taking and depletion are replaced with reduction, reuse and regeneration of the earth’s resources.  The principles are focused mainly on eliminating waste and pollution in production processes.

The centre for responsible business (CRB), a think tank based out of Delhi is working on adapting the principles of a circular economy for the Indian textile industry . The Indian textile industry is the 6^th largest exporter in the world, exporting textiles and apparel mainly to developed markets such as the EU, USA and UK. The sector is also one of the major employers in India , employing some 100 million people directly and indirectly .It contributes nearly 2% of India’s GDP and the sector sees a revenue of roughly USD 20 billion in apparel including handlooms, exports per year.  

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"The textile sector in India contributes to nearly 2% of India’s GDP and sees a revenue of roughly USD 20 billion in apparel exports (including handlooms) per year" - CRB report

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Given these impressive numbers, what does the flip side look like? The answer is not too rosy. Reports from the Central Pollution control board (CPCB) and other bodies have shown that the textile industry is responsible for large scale water pollution (20% of all water pollution is attributed to the textile industry, nearly 8000 chemicals are used during the production of fabrics from start to finish) and waste generation ( 85% of all clothes produced reach landfills).

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India is committed to achieving the Sustainable development goals (SDGs)set by UN United Nations in 2015. NITI Aayog has launched the SDG index to track the country’s progress. To this end the textile Industry could definitely reap the benefits of transforming into a circular sector for the production of textiles that could directly impact exports and also create green jobs in the near future by enabling India achieve its target SDGs.

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‍CRB Report highlights for Natural Dye adoption

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The report studies the Indian textile industry in detail and pin points the gaps and  areas that need immediate attention if the textile industry were to transition to becoming more sustainable and clear its reputation of being a toxic pollutant and massive waste generator.

The adoption of natural dyes as alternative to Chemical dyes is highlighted in the report as it’s a sustainable, pollution free step in producing textiles. Moreover, waster from dyeing units and dye production units, especially indigo dye production are used in farm irrigation. Dye manufacture residue from Indigo farms  is used as green manure by many farmers and natural dyers. These attributes of natural dyes ties in with the philosophy of circular industry design by being non-polluting, reducing waste and being regenerative to the environment.

 The report also calls for incentivising the adoption of natural dyes, tax incentives for natural dye manufacturers and for favourable policies towards the certified users of natural dyes. The paper suggests that the Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Chemicals partner with premier research organisations such as the NIFTS, IITs and NITRA to develop more sustainable solutions that could help solve some of the environmental problems created by the Textile Industry.

" The report also calls for incentivising the adoption of natural dyes, tax incentives for natural dye manufacturers and for favourable policies towards the certified users of natural dyes"

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Hope this article was able to highlight the synergies between natural dyes and circular business practices. This should definitely encourage producers and consumers to be more open to trying natural colours. If there was ever a time for natural colours, I feel it’s now.

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