At Urban Darzi, we work by a very basic ideology, waste is not waste, but rather, an unused resource. With this belief, we pick up all things considered ‘waste’ and put them back into the ecosystem through design thinking and effective upcycling. Materials such as abandoned clothes, deadstock fabrics, vintage furniture, single-use plastic bags etc. are all repurposed to make everyday living products, inculcating a circular and mindful lifestyle.

We sift through all kinds of waste, often breaking it down to shreds for the best possible upcycling outcome. This enables us to reuse what has been thrown away and reduce the impact it has on climate change. (text on the side and photo of sifting through waste on the other side)

Pockets from food waste, patchwork made from water soluble stabilisers, handwoven chair seats out of cotton tapes, shredded plastic waste in between quiltings - we use simple off-the-cuff techniques, to create a framework for effective waste management as we look to scale up and work with more materials in the future.

We extend this waste management practice onto our packaging as well. All our products are wrapped in old newspapers before being packed in multipurpose, functional, upcycled drawstring bags often made from scraps of the product placed in them. 

Since we’re looking at waste as a resource, instead of a problem, we are creating a behavioural shift in the way fashion and lifestyle products are consumed along with changing the view on ‘waste’.   

For more information on our practices, check out our Instagram.