At EcoDhaga, with our Kapda Project, our social outreach programme, we are trying to close the gap between people who require basic amenities to uplift their lives, while ensuring environmental sustainability by providing those with surplus an opportunity for conscious disposal. The goal of the Kapda Project is to provide basic clothing to impoverished and vulnerable communities while addressing the fabric waste problem of the country. It is unfair that some of us throw away clothing when others barely have anything to wear. 

“Roti, Kapda and Makan” are the basic tenets of human dignity. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford them. India currently ranks 132 out of 191 in the global Human Development Index, ranking behind other developing south-east asian countries in the cohort. The HDI is an important indicator and measures progress on three key dimensions of human development - a long and healthy life, access to education, and a decent standard of living. Roti, Kapda and Makan are important factors in measuring a decent standard of living. A large % of our population lives below the poverty lines, i.e. lack the means to afford a basic standard of living. In Bangalore alone, 2.2 million poor live in slums and about one third of slum dwellers fall below the poverty line with a monthly income of less than Rs. 2500. This number does not account for those who are victims of natural calamities (like the frequent floods in Kerala, Assam, Bihar or those affected by Typhoons on the coastlines) and require rehabilitation and resources to get back to “normality”. International multidimensional framework for poverty recognises needs like: diet, clothing, fuel, electricity, housing conditions, security of work, etc. as factors that when tackled can help alleviate the poorest of the poor from deprivation. A gift of clothing to these vulnerable sections of our population is not only humane but also necessary and can help achieve better sanitation, improved health and provide welfare and relief. 

Our research with urban households in Bengaluru found that most people donate some clothes to their house help and either donate in large lots to the closest NGO from their homes or simply put the clothes in the garbage can. This poses a few issues: 1) not every NGO has the capacity to consume clothes that they receive - for example - bundling kids clothes and donating to an old age home, will just mean that instead of you throwing them in the bin, the NGO will have to segregate and throw away what cannot be used by them; 2) even if you segregate and send only clothes that are suited for the NGO benefactors, if they are not in good condition or are in surplus (i.e. more than their housing capacity), the clothes will end up getting warehoused and eventually landfilled and 3) 80% of the clothes that end up in the landfills have the potential to be reused, reworn or recycled in someway. While there is a lot of good intention in donating or discarding old clothes, there needs to be more thoughtfulness in ensuring that when we are decluttering our own homes, we aren’t actually adding to the landfill waste in India. This is where EcoDhaga steps in. Click here to see how we close the fashion loop. 

We identify NGOs and understand their specific requirements, and donate with dignity the clothes received from our patrons. We undertake the sorting, segregating and ensuring that only quality clothes that can be meaningfully used by vulnerable communities are donated further. Your good intentions, combined with our rigorous processes and vision to eliminate textile waste from landfills in India, can help the people and save the planet. 

So far, since May 2021, we have received over 2000 kgs of domestic post consumer textile waste from urban households in Bangalore. We have donated 700 kgs through several NGOs that have been handpicked to ensure that benefactors can be reached directly, including through: 

• Asha Niketan; 
• Neki ki Diwar; 
• Angels Orphanage;
• Jeevitha Anathashram; 
• Samarthanam Trust for Disabled; 
• R K Foundation. 

Already, the Kapda Project has donated clothes to over 4000 vulnerable people in urban Bangalore communities who cannot afford new clothing. With your help and sponsorship, we strive to do more!

• Clothes treated hygienically, segregated according to need, bundled according to requirement and donated responsibly directly to benefactors; 
• Closing the fashion loop with environmental sustainability in mind while encouraging welfare of impoverished communities; 
• Transparency in process and reporting;  
• SDGs achieved: Reduced Inequalities (10); Sustainable Cities and Communities (11); Responsible Consumption and Production (12)
• In line with efforts from the Government of India through its technical organisations such as NITI Aayog, Ministry for Women and Children Welfare, etc. and robust policies to reduce poverty in India; 
• Working towards achieving the Swachh Bharat Mission by reducing, reallocating, recycling and redirecting solid textile waste away from the landfills.