Puma will upcycle used apparel and shoes to reward people in rural areas for ‘good work’

• Puma has partnered with the NGO Goonj to upcycle apparel and footwear and then distribute them in rural communities in India.
• The products will then be given as a reward to citizens who are doing deeds like ‘building a bamboo bridge, digging a well, building community spaces etc.’
• Amitabh Kant, CEO of think tank NITI Aayog had said that the country’s circular economy will create 14 millions in the next 5-7 years.

Global apparel and shoe brand Puma has partnered with the NGO Goonj to upcycle apparel and footwear for rural communities in India.

“This initiative gives us a great platform to collaborate with our consumers to crowdsource essentials like apparel and footwear. We will continue to actively be a part of the circular economy and encourage more people to make a conscious choice towards sustainable living,” said Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, PUMA India.

As a part of the campaign, PUMA is putting out collection boxes in 360 stores across the country. And consumers who donate clothes will be given PUMA gift vouchers.

“Customized kits will then be prepared for specific local needs of people in different parts of the country - like Family Kits, School Kits, Rahat Disaster Relief Kit, Aaganwadi Kit, Labour Kit and Menstrual Dignity kits. In the remote rural villages, these kits will act as a mobilizing and motivating tools to reward people who work on their own issues like building a bamboo bridge, digging a well or building community spaces,” said the company’s statement.

Through this initiative PUMA hopes to encourage people’s participation in the circular economy.

Circular economy refers to an economic system that prioritises waste management and maximises resource utilization.

Recently, Amitabh Kant, CEO of think tank NITI Aayog had said that the country’s circular economy will create 14 millions in the next 5-7 years.

“By 2050, world population would reach 9.7 billion of which 3 billion people would prosper to middle class consumption level. This would require 71% more resources per capita, thereby raising total mineral and material demand from 50 billion tonnes in 2014 to 130 billion tonnes in 2050,” said Kant, speaking at an event by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).