The newest additions to Canopy, a global movement and solutions-driven environmental non-profit dedicated to protecting the world’s forests that are vital to biodiversity and climate change, are Indian fashion brands Doodlage, Lovebirds, Ka-Sha, Paiwand Studio, Sonam Khetan, and Urvashi Kaur. Canopy also aims to accelerate Next Gen solutions for the fashion industry. Together with Canopy’s global network of over 950 businesses and Indian sustainability champions Flipkart and Anita Dongre, these brands further cement India’s expanding role in the global movement towards circular supply chains and forest protection.
This announcement comes after some of India’s most innovative fashion businesses, designers, and inventors came together at Canopy’s recent “Fashion for Forests” event in New Delhi. In addition to scaling Next Gen materials that employ recycled clothing and agricultural leftovers rather of trees as inputs for textile and packaging production, discussions centered on lowering the industry’s sourcing risk and impact on Ancient and Endangered Forests. The occasion highlighted India’s capacity to take the lead in developing sustainable, low-carbon materials.
Nicole Rycroft, the founder and executive director of Canopy, stated that these brands “reflect the soul and future of Indian fashion — craftsmanship, innovation, and being on the leading edge of the sustainability transition.” In addition to preserving its abundant biodiversity, India has a fantastic chance to lead the world in producing low-impact Next Gen textiles that reduce air pollution and climate change while promoting social progress. We are pleased to collaborate with these innovative companies to make India’s potential a reality.
India is in a unique position to promote Next Gen Solutions, which are substitutes for traditional wood fibers in paper, packaging, and textiles. These materials are frequently derived from items that would otherwise be burned (agricultural leftovers) or landfilled (discarded textiles). India’s waste problem is a major contributor to severe air pollution and 3.5% of global warming, with an estimated 500 million tons of agricultural leftovers, such as rice straw and wheat, burned each year. India can increase the production of Next Gen materials by up to 10 million tonnes per year by turning these leftovers into textiles and packaging. In addition to minimizing environmental damage and generating sustainable economic opportunities for farming and urban areas, doing so will put India in a competitive position as a pioneering worldwide leader in low-carbon, circular materials.
At Lovebirds, we think that responsible and purposeful creation is important. The founders of Lovebirds, Gursi Singh and Amrita Khanna, stated, “Our partnership with Canopy Planet is a logical step in our journey to protect forests and prioritize sustainability in every aspect of our work—from fabric sourcing to packaging.”
The CanopyStyle program now has 560 brand partners worldwide, including Doodlage, Lovebirds, Ka-Sha, Paiwand Studio, Sonam Khetan, and Urvashi Kaur. Together, these partners generate over $1.06 trillion in revenue annually. By buying from viscose manufacturers who achieve green shirt status in Canopy’s Hot Button Report, an annual ranking of global viscose producers, brands may instantly reduce the risk of sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests. Furthermore, 432 dedicated brands with yearly sales of over $240 billion have joined Canopy’s Pack4Good campaign to end the use of virgin forest fiber in paper packaging.
Through this collaboration, Ka-Sha is advancing its efforts to promote responsible production and consumption by pledging to protect forests through the choices we make regarding paper, packaging, and fabric. By collaborating with Canopy, we can better support our current circular system and work together to accomplish shared objectives. Their policies will establish a strong framework that will allow us to assess our work more effectively and expand our network of conscious makers. Karishma Shahani Khan, the founder of Ka-Sha, stated, “Their innovation with Next Gen Materials will give us the chance to explore newer materials and expand the possibilities of what our work could look like in the future.”
These collaborations are good examples of how fashion can influence environmental change for the better. These Indian companies are demonstrating that innovation, economic expansion, and sustainability are interdependent by producing circular apparel and packaging from textile waste and agricultural wastes.
