For Immediate Release:
10 July 2024
Contact:
Hiraj Laljani; HirajL@petaindia.org
Sanskriti Bansore; SanskritiB@petaindia.org
Mumbai – Vegan Virya – an innovative vegan leather made from sugarcane, created by PA Footwear P Ltd in partnership with the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology – is earning kudos and “PETA-Approved Vegan” certification from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. Others to adopt the certification include Virgio, a 100% vegan brand launched by Amar Nagaram, the former CEO of Flipkart’s fashion arm Myntra, and Allen Solly of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd – which will mark its vegan items with the “PETA-Approved Vegan” logo.
“It brings us immense joy to unveil Vegan Virya, an innovative material comprising over 95% plant-based elements, prominently sugarcane bagasse, complemented by a remarkable 60% agro waste content,” says P A Footwear P Ltd Vice Chair Chinnasami Anbumalar. “Our mission revolves around the principle of ‘Wealth from Waste’, a fundamental tenet guiding us towards our vision.”
“We are thrilled to be recognised by PETA [India] for our commitment to cruelty-free and ethical fashion,” states Amar Nagaram, co-founder and CEO of Virgio. “This certification aligns with our core values of ethics, transparency, innovation, and responsibility towards our planet and all its inhabitants. It is a significant step forward in our mission to create fashion that respects the environment and its inhabitants.”
“We believe in fashion that lasts longer, looks better, and does no harm,” he adds. “Our partnership with PETA [India] strengthens our resolve to lead the industry towards a more humane and sustainable future.”
“Brands sporting the ‘PETA-Approved Vegan’ logo know that a vegan lifestyle is the future,” says PETA India Chief Corporate Liaison Ashima Kukreja. “We urge other companies to take note and embrace eco- and animal-friendly vegan leather and other materials that will save all our skins, as leather and wool are among the most polluting materials in fashion.”
PETA entities have released numerous videos revealing that workers hit, kick, and mutilate sheep for their wool during shearing; leave goats with bloody, gaping wounds at mohair and cashmere operations; burn and slit the throats of cows and buffaloes for leather; ram metal rods down conscious crocodiles’ spines in the exotic-skins industry; suffocate, electrocute, and bludgeon animals to death on fur farms; and boil silkworms alive to produce silk.
Turning animal skin into garments also requires massive amounts of energy and dangerous chemicals that damage the environment. The 2017 “Pulse of the Fashion Industry” report revealed that leather, silk, and wool are among the most polluting materials in fashion.
PETA India notes that India is one of the largest producers of sugarcane globally, so P A Footwear P Ltd’s technology presents a significant opportunity to utilise sugarcane waste effectively.
Other retailers that have received the “PETA-Approved Vegan” certification for their vegan fashion items include Lusso Lifestyle, IMARS Fashion, The CAI store, Ethik, and Papa Don’t Preach.
PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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