Harsha is a PhD candidate who starts at CML in September 2026, working to map the stocks and flows of chemicals used throughout textile production.

More information about Harsha Ramesh Kandackappalli

Professional experience

Harsha previously served as Program Lead for the End Textile Waste Alliance at Green Worms Pvt. Ltd, where she led partnerships and supported post-consumer textile waste management operations. Before that, she held the role of European Business Development and Partnerships Consultant at Green Worms, focusing on business development strategies. Before her journey with Green Worms, she was Production Lead at Ragnarök Clothing in Zwolle, leading the supply chain team. She also worked as a Practitioner at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AMFI), managing various laboratory operations. Harsha holds a Bachelor of Design and AAS degree in Textiles from NIFT Delhi and FIT New York, an MSc. in Innovative Textile Development from Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and a Master's in Business Management from Maastricht University (MSM). 

Research topic

Chemicals are essential to nearly every stage of textile production, fibre preparation, yarn spinning, fabric formation, garment confection, and finishing & yet their flows and potential points of accumulation are rarely captured in material flow analysis (MFA) or life cycle assessment (LCA) of textiles. Harsha's PhD aims to address this gap by developing an open-source database of chemicals used at major textile production stages, contributing to ongoing efforts such as the PlastChem database and the Départ de Sentier taxonomy. Using industrial ecology tools, the project assesses chemical stocks and flows, maps data availability to support LCAs, product environmental footprints (PEF), and digital product passports (DPP), and collaborates with stakeholders across industrial ecology, toxicology, and policy to inform safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) initiatives across the textile value chain.