In a world where environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important, the fashion industry has been under scrutiny for its impact on the planet. However, some companies are rising to the challenge and taking steps towards more eco-friendly practices. One such company is Mona B, a brand that offers handbags and accessories made from recycled and upcycled materials.
In an interview with TheCSRUniverse, Mona B's Managing Directors Mr Rahul and Mr Ammrites Chaand Dhupar, discuss the brand's long-term sustainability goals, the genesis of their eco-friendly approach, consumer acceptance, production practices, and plans for the future. Let's take a closer look at their journey towards promoting a circular economy and reducing waste.
Interview with Mona B's Managing Directors Mr Rahul and Mr Ammrites Chaand Dhupar
Q: What is the brand's long term sustainability goal and how do you balance that with your marketing objectives?
A: Mona B aspires to position itself as the leading brand offering Hand Bags and Accessories under the recycled umbrella. We started out with making bags from Upcycled Canvas then added Recycled Polyester Bags and most recently Recycled Felt Bags. We would continue to add more fabrics which fit the recycled criterion.
Q: Please shed some light on the genesis and factors that led you to use waste products and transform them into bags? What all waste products do you repurpose/recycle to manufacture bags?
A: The idea originated through travels across the world, especially when during our trip to Italy we saw old army tents being recycled into trendy bags. We started our journey with old Indian army tents and truck tarps and now we have added remilled fabric, recycled canvas, recycled polyester (r-pet) and recycled felt into our raw material portfolio.
Q: What is the environmental impact of Mona B's bags compared to traditional bags made from new materials, and how many bags have you sold till date?
A: Our bags have a lower carbon footprint when compared to traditional bags as the entire manufacturing process is far more sustainable.
Commercial processes generate a lot of wastage which is discarded in landfills, whereas at Mona B, even the waste generated is remilled and converted into recycled fabric. This way our contribution to waste is 0%. Till date, we have sold around 1 lakh units of bags nationally and 5 lakhs internationally.
Q: What's the acceptance rate of Mona B's recycled bags and how does the company educate consumers about sustainable fashion, and ensure bag durability and longevity to minimize replacements?
A: We frequently participate in trade shows and have an active digital presence. We are also closely working with influencers who have a wide reach. Everything about our processes, materials and mission is thoroughly mentioned on each product label. All these initiatives help us in educating our customers. Our yearly customer acceptance rate is growing by 70%. To ensure durability and longevity of our products, we use 16 ounce canvas which is highly stable and long lasting.
Q: How does Mona B ensure that its production practices & supply chain are eco-friendly and sustainable in order to promote a circular economy?
A: All our manufacturing is in-house. This gives us direct control on our processes, wastage and even reduces our carbon footprint largely. One of our biggest strengths is that we remill our wastage also into recycled fabric. 80% of our processes are manual. This greatly helps in controlling our resource consumption.
Q: How can your business model and sustainability practices be replicated by other fashion brands to promote a circular economy and reduce waste?
A: A lot of brands these days are adopting sustainable practices and this is a big win! We were one of the first companies in India to make bags out of recycled polyester but now a lot of brands in the sneaker industry are also using it to make shoes. Even rubber tyres are being recycled into making soles.
Q: What are some of the challenges you face in sourcing and collecting enough plastic bottles to meet production needs, and how can these challenges be overcome?
A: We haven’t really faced any difficulties in sourcing plastic bottles as we are tied up with numerous NGOs and organisations. However, there is a limited supply of army tents and truck tarps. We overcome the challenge of this shortage by having multiple base materials as options.
Q: How do you measure and track your environmental impact, and what goals have you set for reducing your carbon footprint and waste?
A: It is all in the little things. We keep a check on our production wastage, use paper tags on our products, etc. However, we still want to improve our packaging solution and that is the goal we have set for this year. Right now, we are 70% environmentally friendly and with improved packaging we’ll be close to being 100% sustainable.
Q: What's the roadmap for the future for MonaB?
A: Our mission is clear. When anyone in the world thinks of recycled products, they should think of Mona B. In order to achieve this, we are actively working on broadening our raw material catalogue and working towards introducing recycled, denim, cork and bamboo products.
