Pure Fabrics: ~10,000 L per kg cotton; silk also water-intensive but less polluting

Fast Fashion Fabrics: ~90% less water, but highly chemical-intensive

Upcycling Impact Metric: By upcycling 10 cotton sarees (~10 kg), ~100,000 L of water is saved — equal to 500 showers.

Pure Fabrics: Cotton: ~15–20 kg CO₂ per kg

Fast Fashion Fabrics: Polyester: ~25–30 kg CO₂ per kg (oil-based)

Upcycling Impact Metric: By upcycling silk/cotton, you avoid farming + dyeing CO₂; by upcycling polyester, you avoid oil extraction + plastic waste.

Pure Fabrics: High due to irrigation, spinning, weaving, but renewable in some regions

Fast Fashion Fabrics: Extremely high — fossil fuels needed for synthesis

Upcycling Impact Metric: Each upcycled polyester saree prevents ~70 MJ of fossil energy use (≈ 20 kWh).

Pure Fabrics: Cotton & silk = biodegradable in 5–10 years (if untreated with synthetics)

Fast Fashion Fabrics: Polyester & nylon = take 200+ years to degrade

Upcycling Impact Metric: Upcycling one synthetic saree diverts 1 kg of plastic waste from 200 years in landfill.

Pure Fabrics: Negligible for cotton/silk

Fast Fashion Fabrics: High — every wash releases 700,000+ microfibers into waterways

Upcycling Impact Metric: By reusing synthetics in upcycled fashion, you slow down microplastic shedding vs. mass-produced fast fashion.

Pure Fabrics: Natural dyes or azo-free dyes possible; less toxic

Fast Fashion Fabrics: Synthetic dyes + chemical finishing = major wastewater pollution

Upcycling Impact Metric: Upcycling avoids fresh dyeing & reduces chemical load.