Upcyclie: Crafting sustainable future with Chennai's women artisans through Amazon

Namrutha, is a former marketing professional who saw mountains of fabric waste piling up in Chennai, India, not as trash, but as untapped potential. She envisioned transforming scrap into beautiful products, empowering women from Chennai's slums and founded Upcyclie.

Upcyclie is more than a brand. Skilled women artisans, once marginalized, now form the backbone of the company. They meticulously craft laptop sleeves, handbags, and other accessories from fabric that would have otherwise choked the environment, turning waste into treasures and creating a sustainable future. Today, Upcyclie boasts a team of 18 women artisans.

Amazon Karigar: A catalyst for growth

Central to Upcyclie's success story is the Amazon Karigar Program. Through this program, Upcyclie gained access to the global marketplace, enabling them to showcase their products to a wider audience and scale their business operations. The exposure and support from Amazon Karigar have been instrumental in Upcyclie's growth, providing a platform that amplifies their reach and impact.

The Amazon Karigar Program offers training and resources that help women entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of e-commerce. For Upcyclie, this meant learning how to manage online sales, handle logistics, and optimize their presence on the Amazon platform. The program's support has been a game-changer, allowing Upcyclie to tap into a vast customer base and increase its sales exponentially.

Founded in 2021, Upcyclie emerged from a simple yet profound realization: the staggering amount of fabric waste generated daily in Chennai, with a portion of it being reusable but discarded nonetheless. A solid waste management report by the Government of Tamil Nadu revealed that 251 tonnes of fabric waste end up in landfills every day in Chennai alone. This includes about 15 kgs of reusable fabric waste that every tailor generates per week. Environmentalists warn that these fabrics can take more than 20-25 years to decompose, and some might not decompose at all.

Looking Ahead

As Upcyclie continues to grow and evolve, Namrutha's vision remains clear to build a sustainable future through waste-to-value innovation and women empowerment. With plans to expand operations, open retail stores, and collaborate with larger brands, Upcylie is poised to make an even greater impact on the world.

In a world where fashion often comes at a cost, Upcyclie proves that style and conscience can coexist. As we look to the future, let us draw inspiration from the remarkable journey of Upcyclie and the countless women entrepreneurs driving change across the globe. Together, we can build a more equitable, sustainable, and stylish world for generations to come.