Wealth in Waste

Wealth in Waste

20/07/2022

This report is part of the “Sorting for Circularity: India” initiative led by Fashion for Good and its partners. It aims to explore the untapped potential of India’s textile waste industry to transition into a circular economy by identifying waste streams, analysing current practices, and suggesting pathways for systemic improvements across the value chain.

Executive Summary

India generates about 7793 kilotons (8.5% of global total) of textile waste annually. Despite being a leader in mechanical recycling, the country lacks circular systems due to an unorganised waste value chain, quality limitations, and limited technology adoption. Currently, 59% of waste is reused or recycled, but only a small portion re-enters the global supply chain. The report proposes that with improved traceability, infrastructure, and investment in recycling innovations, India can become a global leader in circular textile sourcing. A clear value hierarchy of waste types is proposed, and short- and long-term interventions are recommended to drive circularity and improve socio-economic outcomes.

Goals of the Report

  • Quantify textile waste in India by type and source

  • Map textile waste flows and value chains

  • Identify gaps in current textile waste management

  • Propose a value hierarchy of textile waste

  • Recommend strategic, collaborative actions to achieve circularity in the industry

  • Encourage formalisation and innovation to unlock the full potential of textile waste

Conclusion and Recommendations

India is well-positioned to lead in circular textile systems but must overcome major bottlenecks including informal value chains, low recycling quality, and lack of traceability. The report recommends:

  • Short-term: Sorting at factory floors, blockchain-based traceability, pilot recycling technologies.

  • Long-term: EPR policies, formal waste infrastructure, new recycling hubs, industry standards, and worker empowerment.
    Realising this vision requires coordinated efforts by government, brands, recyclers, and communities to transition from a linear to a circular textile economy.

Glossary

  • Circularity: Practices that optimise resource use and minimise waste across the entire production and consumption cycle, emphasising sustainability and economic efficiency

  • Pre-consumer Waste: Waste generated during textile production (e.g., trimmings, unsold stock).

  • Post-consumer Waste: Textiles discarded after use by consumers.

  • Imported Waste: Second-hand clothes or rags imported for reuse or recycling.

  • Downcycling: Recycling material into lower-value products.

  • Mechanical Recycling: Physical processing of textiles into new yarn without changing fibre chemistry.

  • Garneting/Willowing: Processes to recover fibres from used textiles.

  •  EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility): A policy approach where producers are responsible for the end-of-life impact of their products.

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