The Hirdaramani Group together with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative hosted a transformative workshop on at the Hilton Colombo Residences, specifically designed for academics and students in the fashion industry to raise awareness, build knowledge, and stimulate dialogue within the context of a circular economy – one that designs out waste and pollution, keeps products and materials in use and regenerates natural systems.
The circularity workshop enabled students from the Academy of Design and The University of Moratuwa to gain precious insight from visiting delegates from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, as well as leaders from the Hirdaramani Group.
Among the group of representatives from the foundation were Francois Souchet, Lead of Make Fashion Circular, Project Managers Francesca Brkic and Elodie Rousselot, Senior Research Analyst Marilyn Martinez, and Research Analyst Lukas Fuchs.
Francois Souchet, Lead of Make Fashion Circular commenting at the event said “We were delighted to be hosted by Make Fashion Circular participant Hirdaramani at their facilities in Sri Lanka this week. Hirdaramani played a key role in the making of the Jeans Redesign project and this visit proves a great opportunity to see how they are using technology in their manufacturing processes to realise the ambitions of the Jeans Redesign guidelines.”
“We are delighted to welcome the team from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative to Sri Lanka. We are extremely optimistic that our participation in initiatives like the Jeans Re-design project will positively impact all industry stakeholders in joining our journey towards a circular economy,” added Nikhil Hirdaramani, Group Director of the Hirdaramani Group.
Earlier this year the future-focused apparel conglomerate further cemented its long-standing commitment towards the circular economy by becoming one of few manufacturers globally to participate in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative, and pledging to incorporate innovative operational solutions that challenge the current ‘take-make-waste’ industry model.
Already a pioneer in the industry, through its collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Hirdaramani Group joins an A-list of global industry stakeholders, corporations, NGOs and fashion houses -Burberry, NIKE Inc., PVH and Stella McCartney, to name a few- who have pledged to incorporate circularity into the core of their business.
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world, just after the oil industry. Hirdaramani has made considerable advancements in the sustainable manufacturing space. In its washing plants the company has drastically reduced water usage by employing low liquor ratio washing machines and waterless washing through ozone technology.
In addition to the workshop, the delegates from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation were given a two-day tour of the Hirdaramani washing plant at Seethawaka, as well as the manufacturing facilities Hirdaramani Knit Mihila and Hirdaramani Industries Kahathuduwa.
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