I started Indigo Handloom as a social project: I thought I would put to use my own creative urges and recast the cloth into something more modern, sell it in North America and provide a living for myself as well as for the villagers.
Along the way, I discovered that handloom is extremely good for the environment. It has almost zero impact upon the earth. No energy is required except for the machinery that spins the yarn used. In addition, the way most handloom weavers live is approximately 1/3 the carbon impact of an average Indian and an average Indian uses approximately 1/16 of the world’s resources as an average North American.
There are no building or transportation costs because most looms are set up in the homes of the weavers or within the village and the looms themselves are anywhere from 20 – 100 years old. They even use bicycles to transport materials from village to village!
When you examine a garment by the energy used to produce it, approximately 29% of the energy is used in the weaving of the cloth, according to the environmental group EarthPledge . I think it is safe to assume that the reverse is also true – if you use handloom you can reduce the impact of your clothing by at least 29%.
This young woman is weaving on her front porch. Across India, both men and women weave in almost equal numbers. It is a great way for women to support themselves and their families.
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