Judge a purchase by its cover: how three sustainable outlets in Chennai make sure packaging does not leave carbon footprints

Packaging doubles as a brand statement. A clothing label at Karpagam Gardens in Adyar, Tula India has dispensed with the branding part and instead made packaging a statement about mindful choices.

“We will ask customers to bring their own bags. Most of our customers do, and we’ll also educate them,” says Sushmitha R.K, designer at Tula India.

The approach begins well before a garment reaches the store. Cotton is transported in airtight plastic sacks that are reused year after year, while woven fabric moves between production units in reusable sack bags instead of new packaging. “So the cycle keeps repeating. Instead of buying new plastic covers every time and discarding them, we keep reusing what we already have,” she says.