Sustainable fashion awareness is growing day by day
UNIREC stitches comfortable garments from fabrics procured from recycled PET bottles in order to recycle the plastic consumed, save water while garments are manufactured, and protect the environment from plastic waste. The company’s motto is to recycle the maximum amount of PET bottles and deliver a wide range of sustainable clothing that is safe and comfortable to wear. Its products are crafted for men who care about our mother nature and are willing to take a step towards a better tomorrow. UNIREC CEO & Founder Kapil Bhatia speaks to Fibre2Fashion about sustainable clothing in India.
What was the motivation behind starting UNIREC? How did you get into sustainable clothing?
I am fortunate enough to be part of a family managed business which was involved in starting one of the first readymade garments brands in the country. However, UNIREC is a completely different proposition. UNIREC was totally customer driven. At one of the B2B exhibitions that we participated in, one of our prospective customers asked us if we could make shirts and trousers from recycled plastic bottles and that is where the entire thought process of building a brand started.
How would you describe the scope for sustainable clothing in India?
The fashion industry is facing increasing pressure to become more sustainable due to the negative impact it has on the environment, such as plastic pollution, deforestation, and water scarcity. The COVID-19 pandemic has also heightened awareness of personal health and lifestyle choices, leading to a rise in support for the slow fashion movement. Sustainable fashion awareness is growing day by day and in future sustainable clothing is going to be a trend.
At least 60 per cent of consumers in India are willing to pay a premium for planet-friendly products, while 52 per cent of urban Indians expect to increase spending on planet-friendly brands in the next 3 years, according to a new survey by consulting firm Bain & Company.
What is the USP of your brand?
UNIREC is the first sustainable brand from India that manufactures garments made from recycled PET bottles. Every garment made by UNIREC helps in recycling on an average 10 plastic bottles of 1 litre each. While there are brands which do manufacture T-shirts currently, UNIREC is the first brand in the country which not only manufactures T-shirts but also formal jackets, sleeveless jackets, trousers and very soon we will be launching our shirts collection also.
Which are your top performing product categories?
UNIREC’s range of formal wear is our best seller. Formal jackets, trousers and sleeveless jackets are the first choice of our customers.
What is next in the pipeline at UNIREC?
Soon, we are going to launch our formal wear collection for women. We are also planning to expand our offline presence.
Published on: 16/02/2023
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
