Sustainable textiles, empowered communities and cleaner coasts: MYGroup’s vision for Sri Lanka

MYGroup is embarking on a pioneering sustainable textile production and manufacturing proof-of-concept in Sri Lanka, set to empower local communities while contributing to a socially and environmentally responsible supply chain for the company’s future product lines.

The MYGroup  multi-faceted initiative, spearheaded by the company’s ReFactory arm, will extend across four Sri Lankan provinces – North West, North Central, Uva and Eastern. It aims to reintroduce cotton cultivation in the country for the first time since the 1970s, support and grow traditional artisan skills and techniques in communities, as well as drive planet-friendly innovations in fabric production and treatment.

In parallel, MYGroup plans to establish a materials recycling hub focused on tackling the scourge of ocean plastic around Sri Lanka’s coastlines. For the textiles elements of the initiative, the ReFactory team has partnered with the Sri Lanka arm of Fibershed, a global non-profit consultancy focused on sustainable, localised systems for producing textiles and clothing. Fibreshed Sri Lanka advocates for and promotes the use of local fibers, natural dyes, traditional labour and techniques, ensuring these practices are preserved, modernized and scaled for the long-term.

All elements of the Sri Lanka initiative are aimed at employing and fairly compensating local artisans and workers, revitalizing traditional industries and strengthening local economies, but with a keen focus on environmental responsibility to foster the long-term growth and transition of the country’s textiles and fashion industries toward a sustainable future.

MYGroup has secured land in the Monaragala District of Uva province, where the company plans to grow and cultivate regenerative cotton, establishing an industry that collapsed in the late 1970s. The initiative will incorporate a series of regenerative agriculture techniques to enrich soil health, support biodiversity and recycle nutrients, all without the use of chemicals.

The company will also install solar-powered machinery for ginning and spinning the cultivated cotton into yarn on site, seeking to prove these processes can be de-centralized from urban centers to the benefit of local communities and rural economies. The first cotton seeds will be planted this month, with harvest expected in late Summer.

Collaborating with Fibershed Sri Lanka and local government administration in the areas, MYGroup’s ReFactory team has engaged with artisan communities in the North West and North Central provinces. The company aims to support and improve the working conditions of these craftspeople, particularly women, while bringing their sustainable and centuries-old skills to a broader customer base through a new line of products wholly manufactured in Sri Lanka.

• Natural dyeing
  Sri Lanka has a rich heritage in natural color dyeing, using tones derived from plants such as turmeric, madder root and jackfruit, as well as techniques such as echo print for pattern making. Cotton yarn produced through MYGroup’s Sri Lanka initiative will be dyed and patterned using these traditional techniques.
• Handloom weaving
  Dyed MYGroup yarn will be spun into cotton cloth using a manually operated process that is said to have existed in Sri Lanka for over two millennia, typified by its intricate designs and high-quality craftsmanship.
• Reed and rush weaving
  A further traditional and sustainable technique sponsored through the initiative will be reed and rush weaving. Bags, baskets and other products will be hand-crafted from these natural leaves, together with design accents of other natural and recycled materials sourced through MYGroup’s broader operations.