An Eco-Friendly Alternative to Orange Peel, Sustainable Fashion Hair Accessories

Abstract

The fashion industry contributes around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 35% of plastic micro-fibers released in oceans [4][5]. This impact is amplified by the increasing demand for hair accessories, which are often made from plastic or metal and contain harmful chemicals. The global market for hair accessories is estimated to be worth Rs. 1,96,566 Crs. in 2023 and is forecasted to reach Rs. 3,50,201 Crs. by 2030 with a growth rate of 8.60%. To address the significant environmental impacts of hair fashion industry, there is a need to emphasize sustainable and eco-friendly fashion practices, including the use of organic waste. This action research project explores the use of bio-plastic made from Orange Peels, for creating sustainable and eco-friendly hair accessories. Due to high cellulose content in orange peel, bio-plastic produced using simple techniques have shown promising results, with excellent strength, flexibility, and biodegradability [1]. This research not only showcases the ‘best from the waste’ concept but also opens the door of additional income source to the orange farmers & consumers. A comprehensive online survey was conducted to get feedback from key stake holders toward promotion of eco-friendly fashion. The ‘Sakhi Paryavarnachi’ campaign has been initiated to promote the bio- plastic hair accessories amongst the end users. Overall the combined efforts of experimentation, observation, evaluation and survey based campaign have been explored herein to promote ‘Orange peel eco-friendly alternative for sustainable fashion in hair accessories.’