The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by United Nations shares a blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and planet.
The UN recognizes that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health, education, reduce inequality, spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
Through Ushas Ethos we contribute towards the Sustainable Development Goals listed here.
Ushas Ethos contributes to the UN SDGs through the cotton value chain in India.
Why cotton?
Natural fibers particularly cotton has inherent qualities like the absorbency, elasticity & breathability that are good for skin.
Naturally cultivated cotton is important because, while 2.5% of cultivated area in the world is dedicated for cotton, 50% of usage of all pesticides in developing countries is assigned to cotton production. So the toxicity of the pesticides enters back the food chain through air, water and soil.
Why handspun handwoven?
There are around 20 processes the cotton goes through before a cotton boll becomes fabric, where toxic chemicals are added for industrial processing to increase productivity and reduce costs.
Handspun & handwoven fabrics are free of most textile industry toxins as the process is slow and using natural ingredients with more man hours involved. India has 95% of the world's looms besides being the biggest exporter of cotton. This shows why choosing Indian handloom cottons impacts livelihoods directly.
Why natural dyed, undyed, unbleached?
20% of industrial water pollution is owed to fabric dyes and treatment. The world bank identified 72 toxic chemicals in water bodies related to textile dyeing.
These toxins not only end up on our skin, the biggest organ through apparel but also in our homes where 30% of airborne indoor pollution is from home linen.
How can we collectively make a better impact on people and planet?
Collectively we make a difference in minimizing the carbon footprint through a cotton textile value chain that offers products where they matter the most.