Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in clothing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Vaidehi Bagrodia, co-founder of Wastewear, located in New York, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Wastewear strives to help save the world one t-shirt at a time. We make and sell apparel and accessories made with 100% recycled materials and do not use dyes in our process. Our primary materials are waste cotton scraps which are post-industrial waste, and post-consumer plastic bottles. Approximately 20% of the fabric gets wasted during the cutting process of a garment. By using this waste, we drastically reduce the waste reaching the landfills and avoid using virgin cotton, which saves a large amount of water. By recycling plastic bottles, we reduce the amount of plastic reaching landfills and minimize the need to manufacture new polyester.

Our customers are anyone or any corporation looking to start doing their part in protecting the environment and stop buying from brands that have the resources to be using sustainable and environment-friendly processes and materials but are choosing not to take advantage of that.

Tell us about yourself

So, my journey in this industry began very early on. As a child, I would visit our family's textile factories and play with the excess cotton fiber and scraps, not acknowledging it as waste at the time. It certainly was a core memory.

Fast forward to fashion college (Fashion Institute of Technology 21), where every class, every project, and every discussion was related to "sustainability. And that's when I realized how much of the fiber and fabric was going to waste. This motivated me to start working on Wastewear.

I think the most prominent motivating factor is that the future of the planet is literally in our generation's hands. If we don't work towards fixing the issue, who else will?

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think my biggest accomplishment is being able to create a community that acts on such a big problem in the world today and also influences others to make a change in their habits to make more eco-conscious decisions every day.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Being a business owner of a start-up comes with many challenges that no one really warns you about. I think the biggest challenge has been wearing so many hats as you are working on all aspects of the business that you would never think you need to. Every day is so different.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Act to solve a problem, and you will find your community.
  2. Start somewhere; nobody has it all perfectly planned out. You've just got to take the plunge.
  3. NETWORK.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I run Wastewear with my Twin brother - Uddhav Bagrodia.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.wastewear.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wastewearinc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wastewearinc/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.