{"id":3820,"date":"2022-03-29T13:04:37","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T07:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shahi.co.in\/blog\/"},"modified":"2025-10-29T17:37:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T17:37:22","slug":"how-shahi-created-a-first-of-its-kind-circular-dress-cradle-to-cradle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shahi.co.in\/how-shahi-created-a-first-of-its-kind-circular-dress-cradle-to-cradle\/","title":{"rendered":"How Shahi created a first-of-its-kind circular dress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Inspired by nature, held by three pillars: innovation, design, and chemistry. <\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Does waste equal food? In the pre-industrialized economy, products had a natural biological cycle where the inputs naturally <\/span><\/em>decomposed and served as nutrients for the planet. Products made out of metal were refurbished to make new ones. All the <\/span><\/em>inputs derived from Earth ideally should go back to it. But, today, does waste still equal food for the planet? How do we <\/span><\/em>envision growth in today\u2019s world while prioritizing the environment? Is there a way we can manufacture products aligning <\/span><\/em>with the growing population and their lifestyle choices without harming the environment, in fact, by nurturing it?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On asking a few people about what Cradle to Cradle<\/span> is<\/span>, I received a myriad of answers. Someone said it is probably a place where a baby sleeps. Some others hit it a little closer: a process for people to know how a product is truly made; a benchmark for sustainable products; and a design philosophy that genuinely outlines the lifecycle of a product focusing on the recycling mechanisms. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi, says, <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cCradle to Cradle represents a way to make products that are in tune with nature and manufactured sustainably. The resources that are required to manufacture must be replenished and extracted ethically. You can imagine a world where we can produce as much as we want, and the reason we can do it is due to the positive impact and the life cycle of the product. We turn the waste into fuel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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The Concept<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cradle to Cradle is a revolutionary design concept integrating two distinct fields \u2014  design and science to achieve a high level of sustainability. By focusing on doing \u2018more good than less bad,\u2019 Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae products<\/a><\/strong> create a positive ecological impact rather than simply minimizing their environmental footprint. The goal is not just to substitute harmful chemicals and other raw materials with more sustainable alternatives but also to rethink the lifecycle of products \u2014 from design to disintegration. The emphasis is on increasing durability. Once disintegrated, the value of the materials used in production is not lost but rather preserved and brought back to the loop.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cradle-to-Grave vs Cradle-to-Cradle<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Every raw material used counts. Each material holds immense value and should not end in a grave<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five different aspects measure the holistic development of a Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae product: material health and re-utilization, renewable energy, carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness. Each of these is given an achievement level based on the guidelines ranging from Bronze to Platinum<\/span>. The products based on these principles can range from buildings and construction materials to cosmetics and textiles. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018Arth,\u2019 what does it mean<\/i>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Arth\"<\/figure>
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In late 2018, Shah<\/a>i was presented with an opportunity to become India\u2019s first woven apparel and textiles manufacturer to create Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae products with our \u2018Arth\u2019 collection in partnership with C&A. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arth symbolizes our responsibility towards the planet in a quest to find meaning behind \u2018doing more good than less bad.\u2019 Shahi received the Gold achievement level owing to its holistic performance on the parameters set by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. Everything that comes from the Earth must return to it. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe concept of Cradle to Cradle presents an opportunity to present our commitment towards circularity: everything that we utilize goes back safely to the environment. It was a pioneering step to add such product manufacturing capability to our organization.  The dress (product) has motivated us to explore better raw materials and technologies; as it is also backed by a continuous improvement principle along with zero environmental impact and elimination of waste generation concept. We hope that we continue to work on exciting and innovative projects such as this one with our other stakeholders.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Rajneesh Rai, General Manager, Environmental Sustainability and Laboratory.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we share our learnings, insights, and the benefits, and opportunities for building our first Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae product by looking at the overall product development, materials, resources, social fairness, and the way forward.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rethinking product development<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our product’s design and production processes are based on a circular economy model. At the end of its lifecycle, a  Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae product is returned to the biosphere either as compost or reprocessed to make new products. Here is how we took on the opportunity to change our <\/span>production <\/span>pattern for this collection.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Designing a Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae product demands many resources, dedication, perseverance, and openness to explore new areas. It took us more than 18 months from the inception of the product to deliver to our brand partner  C&A. <\/span>This period also includes the certification process for our facilities. <\/span>The process has been significantly different from any other product we have manufactured. The changes in the processes also made us appreciate the speed of adaptation and the appetite for innovation at Shahi.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When we started designing the product from scratch, our progress was slow due to the lack of knowledge and resources available, coupled with the nationwide lockdown in early 2020. We began with a series of questions on which resources and techniques can be used in a Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae dress. They revolved around printing over the product, label of the garment, and use of Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae raw materials such as buttons and thread. The journey was made more accessible and collaborative with active involvement from C&A and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Arth collection sports a relaxed mid-length dress with buttons made from natural coconut, which breaks down with a biological cycle. The dress made us go back to the basics of designing. The boundaries put on using certain chemicals, dyes, and trimmings helped us become more innovative in constructing the Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae dress. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

\"DSC_0526\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The ideation process required us to extend our imagination beyond the aesthetics of the design. We emphasize how easily the product can be disintegrated and put back in the cycle without losing any value. Keeping in mind the core principle of Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae, the focus has been to balance the dress’s design and durability. For this reason, the dress has a clean finish with minimum accessories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sona Mishra, the designer who developed the dress, says, \u201cTo make a Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae product, you must go back to your basics: silhouettes, minimal accessorization, and use of Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae raw materials, dyes, and auxiliaries. We were really able to bring out the essence of a truly circular product with this process.<\/em>\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Material<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The fabric<\/a><\/strong> was made at our state-of-the-art Woven Processing Division (WPD) in Shimoga using 100% Global Organic Textile Standard certified organic cotton. More than 96% of this cotton is rapidly renewable, and 86% of the water used in the fabric processing was recycled. The finished products are 100% carbon neutral and recyclable. The brand tag on the products was designed in-house using recyclable materials and procured from a verified vendor.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae Product Standard lists restricted chemicals to avoid while manufacturing the products. An official <\/span>Restricted Substance List<\/span><\/a> indicates the maximum concentration of each restricted substance allowed in the products. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The material health and re-utilization category ensure that Cradle to Cradle Certified\u00ae products uses chemicals that are: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n