Whalesbook
Textile Recycling Market Set for Major Growth
The 'Mapping of Textile Waste Value Chain in India' report, released by Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh, forecasts significant expansion for the nation's textile recycling market. It projects the sector could reach $3.5 billion by 2030 and create an estimated one lakh green jobs. Minister Singh stressed the importance of aligning the booming textile industry with sustainability objectives.
India's Annual Textile Waste and Recovery Rates
The report estimates India generates 70.73 lakh tonnes of textile waste each year. Manufacturing scraps (pre-consumer waste) account for 42 percent of this, with post-consumer waste making up the larger share of 58 percent. Encouragingly, over 70 percent of this total textile waste is currently recovered for recycling, upcycling, or reuse.
High Recovery Rates and the Crucial Informal Sector
Pre-consumer waste recovery is very high, nearing 100 percent, especially in the spinning sector where scraps are reintegrated during production. This is thanks to consistent waste types and quality controls. About 55 percent of post-consumer waste is diverted from landfills. This work is largely handled by a widespread informal network of collectors and sorters. This informal sector is vital, providing livelihoods for an estimated 40-45 lakh people, many of whom are women from marginalized communities.
Boosting Recycling Infrastructure and Circularity
Panipat is identified as a growing hub for mechanical textile recycling, handling waste from many textile clusters. The report recommends building recycling infrastructure within textile clusters nationwide. This would improve efficiency and allow recycling to happen closer to where waste is produced, ultimately strengthening the entire textile value chain's circularity.