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Sustainability
Sustainability is not a feature of Théla, it is the foundation. From the materials we use to the communities we work with and the practices we follow, every decision is made with the same question in mind: does this reduce harm and create value?
Here is how we do it.
Materials
Diverting plastic waste from landfills is where we begin, but not where we stop. Every material in a Théla product is chosen with the same care as the fabric itself: natural, organic and fair trade where possible, recycled everywhere else.
Circular Fabric from Reclaimed Plastic
Our signature fabric is handwoven by skilled artisans in India from salvaged plastic bags, wrappers, and sheets. The plastic is sorted, washed, cut into strips, and woven by hand on traditional looms into custom-sized sheets. No virgin plastic. No industrial processing. And a discarded material, given a long and considered second life.
Organic & Fair Trade Cotton
Our linings, pockets, and straps are made from deadstock organic, fairtrade cotton – surplus fabric from certified mills that would otherwise go unused.
Recycled Materials
All other synthetic components such as the zippers and labels are made from recycled PET rather than virgin plastic. A small detail, but a consistent one.
People
Behind every Théla piece is a person that has been doing this for decades, and finds meaning in it. We work with weaving and tailoring communities whose skills have been built over generations, and whose livelihoods we are committed to supporting for the long term.
Rajiben Vankar
Rajiben is a master weaver from Kutch with over twenty years of experience, coming from a family of weavers. She spent more than a decade at Khamir, a cultural craft centre working to revive traditional family-run weaving skills, where she founded and led the plastic weaving initiative, the first of its kind in Kutch. Today she runs eight looms from her home, training women from her village to wash, cut, and weave with plastic waste.
Ecokaari
A social enterprise based in Pune, Ecokaari trains women from disadvantaged backgrounds to weave on traditional looms using locally sourced plastic waste, thus creating livelihoods while extending the life of a discarded material.
Self Help Centre
We have worked with this fair trade NGO and their tailoring community since 2019. Despite organisational disruptions due to the Covid pandemic, we have continued to work with and support their tailors directly, paying fair living wages.
Rajlakshmi
A certified organic, fair trade cotton mill in Kolkata committed to a transparent and socially just supply chain. They work to minimise the environmental impact of their production while ensuring fair conditions for every person involved.
Practices
From the waste material we collect to the product we ask customers to return at the end of its life, every decision is made with circularity in mind. We are ambitious about what that means, and honest about where we still have work to do.
No New Plastic
Reclaimed plastic for the handwoven fabrics. Recycled plastic for our zippers and labels. Plastic-free packaging throughout.
Vegan
No animal products. No synthetic alternatives made from toxic or plastic-based materials.
Zero Waste
Fabrics woven to the exact size of the bag, eliminating cutting waste. Any waste generated during production is donated to recycling initiatives.
Fair
We work with and support artisan communities practising traditional crafts. We work with tailors from vulnerable social groups, paying fair living wages.
Low Production Footprint
Plastic waste is processed entirely by hand without industrial machinery. The bags are woven on traditional, manual looms.
Closing the Loop
At the end of its life, we encourage customers to return their Théla product so that its components can be responsibly recycled or disposed of.