Up to 7800 kilotonnes of textile waste is accumulated in India annually; the largest share of which, an estimated 51%, originates from Indian consumers. India’s textile waste accounts for 8.5% of the global total but only 59% of it finds its way back into the textile industry through reuse and recycling. A lack of strict regulation, informal, and in some cases non-existent, traceability systems, excessive cost competitiveness and limited technological infrastructure to process certain waste types has limited the potential of circular value chains.
India’s textile industry produces enough textile for its population and the ever-expanding global market. With such a vast population, waste coming from textile processing companies is enormous. This waste usually ends up in landfills all over the country. Textiles are bio-degradable but pose a risk to urban planning, the environment, and the aesthetics of a location.