Melawear: Inspired by Cradle to Cradle

Abstract

Melawear develops and produces organic cotton textiles such as garments, bags and sneakers within Indian supply chains based on a fair trade, cradle to cradle (C2C) approach. The chapter describes Melawear’s outstanding effort as a C2C driven business and it reflects upon challenges and opportunities that go along with such a business model. The chapter further demonstrates how MELAWEAR’s C2C inspired business model is an opportunity to achieve a competitive advantage leading to a successful growth of the business. With the launch of the first backpacks and sneakers in the world certified by both Fairtrade and GOTS, MELAWEAR marks a key milestone in the field of sustainable textiles, not yet achieved by any other fashion company. For its success, MELAWEAR was awarded several times and became a flagship project for a sustainable textile industry.