India manages approximately 7,793 kilotonnes of textile waste annually, originating from three primary sources: pre-consumer waste from domestic manufacturers, post-consumer waste from domestic users, and imported waste from other countries. The country excels in the mechanical recycling of textile waste. According to a 2023 study by IDH and SATTVA Consulting, India’s textile waste value chain is well-established, it requires targeted support to streamline supply and demand, incentivise sustainable practices, and integrate recycling into the mainstream textile sector. It found that the key challenge across all stakeholders is ensuring the availability of adequate quality and quantity of textile waste. Formalising the sector has emerged as a critical need.
R. Keerthana spoke to industry experts to understand how stakeholders—consumers, brands, investors, and governments can support the formalisation and growth of the textile waste value chain, fostering a closed-loop textile industry.
Deepak Mehta, Founder & Managing Partner, Leevams Incorporated, explained how the process has become sophisticated in recent times. “Textile recycling is not new to India.” India established its textile recycling industry as early as the 1990s. The process primarily involves mechanical recycling using technologies like rag-tearing lines and non-woven lines. “Garments, cut waste, and other textiles, regardless of origin, are cut into pieces, and fibres are opened out. These fibres then undergo spinning processes to produce OE (Open End) yarns used in products like blankets. In non-woven lines, they are used to make products like carpets and insulation panels,”
However, the recycling landscape is now shifting towards more sophisticated processes. “The emerging trend is textile-to-textile recycling, but it is still in its infancy—even in advanced countries,” he noted. This trend aligns with the principles of the circular economy, though significant challenges persist, especially in processing mixed polymer textile waste and textiles blended with cotton or cellulose. “Such blends cannot be technically processed with polymers,” Mehta added.
Rohan Mantri - Entrepreneur in Residence - Textile Waste, ReCircle, spoke about why tackling textile waste is crucial. “Annually, the global textile industry is responsible for approximately 92 million tonnes of waste. In India, textiles significantly contribute to industrial water pollution, demanding innovative solutions. The problem is massive, and we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.” However, he is positive that things are changing. “In recent years, the demand for recycled textiles has grown, albeit slowly, because of a few factors such as; consumer awareness, government push towards the need for a circular system for textiles and the opportunity to create jobs.” Taking these factors into consideration, ReCircle launched Project Extra Life in April 2024 to tackle India’s textile waste problem and build a more circular future.
Highlighting the positive trends in the landscape, he said, “Brands are organising textile waste collection drives as well as setting up ‘take-back’ programmes for customers considering the biggest problem is post-consumer textiles. There is a huge change in customer behaviour and they are increasingly opting for sustainable brands.” While it's still early and we haven't seen any brands make major commitments, we are eager to see how brands will incorporate recycled materials in their products, he noted.
According to Mehta, brands are playing a crucial role in promoting textile recycling, though their focus remains limited. “Currently, brands are primarily promoting sportswear and footwear made from polyester fibres, where PET bottle flakes are converted into fibres and then into final products,” he noted.
He recalled a defining moment for sustainability in textiles. “If I remember correctly, it started with the FIFA World Cup in 2010, where players wore jerseys made from recycled polyester. This conveyed a strong message about sustainability, eco-friendliness, and going green.” Since then, major brands like Nike and Adidas have adopted this trend, launching sportswear made from recycled polyester and nylon fibres.
Despite these efforts, Mehta believed the approach falls short of achieving true circularity. “The buzz in the textile segment is now about Design for Recycling. This means creating garments that can be easily recycled,” he said. However, he admitted that the industry is still at an early stage in tackling the complexities of post-consumer textile waste recycling.
Challenges galore
Mantri said, “Challenges arise at various stages of the process. For instance, sorting—such as separating different types of fibres—remains a significant hurdle, as does the removal of attachments like buttons and zippers. Further, one the biggest challenges that brands face is the lack of an efficient system to source high quality recyclables. There is also a gap when it comes to logistics and awareness around post-consumer textiles. The supply chain also sees challenges around unpredictability of supply of post-consumer textiles waste due to a mis-match between the volume of waste which cannot be guaranteed and retailers cannot ensure they will receive the same and/or similar items. Lastly, material quality poses another challenge, as textiles are made from blends of different fibers, which can make them difficult to recycle or upcycle.”
While sourcing textile waste is not a significant challenge, processing it is a different story, explained Mehta adding, “You won’t find textile waste littered here and there, but the real challenge lies in processing.”
The diversity of textile fabrics, ranging from pure cotton or cellulose to blends with polyester, nylon, and acrylic, complicates recycling efforts. “The dyeing, coating, and treatment processes further make it difficult—if not impossible—to optically sort, mechanically wash, and eventually recycle fabrics using extrusion processes,” he explained.
Satish Kumar Gunturu, Vice President of Plastic Circularity, Recykal, also highlighted the recycling hurdle that lies in the composition of modern garments. “The separation of these materials for recycling is both technologically complex and cost-prohibitive. Unlike PET-to-polyester recycling, which is relatively straightforward, garment-to-garment recycling requires advanced technologies capable of efficiently breaking down and regenerating blended fibres.” Another issue is quality degradation, he highlighted. “Each recycling cycle weakens the fibres, reducing their quality and limiting the ability to create high-performance textiles from recycled materials. This forces manufacturers to rely on a mix of virgin and recycled fibres, slowing progress towards full circularity.” Collection infrastructure further complicates the issue. While PET recycling benefits from robust collection systems, post-consumer textiles are often discarded without segregation, with 70-80% of waste managed through informal channels. This fragmented collection system creates inefficiencies, limiting access to quality materials for recycling, he pointed out.
Gunturu further stated that addressing these challenges will require advancements in recycling technology, a formalised collection infrastructure, and innovative business models that prioritise circularity.
PET to fibre
Gunturu drew our attention to the success of the PET to fibre recycling. “Currently, the more prevalent recycling process involves converting PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles into polyester fibres, which are then spun into yarn to manufacture textiles.” The process includes collection of PET bottles, cleaning and conversion into flakes, melting flakes into fibres and spinning fibres into yarn for textile production.
India plays a pivotal role globally in this PET-to-textile process. The country generates around 1.3 million tonnes (MT) of PET bottle waste annually, of which approximately 1 MT is diverted towards textile recycling, while the remaining 0.3 MT finds application in other industries.
He said, “Leading brands are increasingly adopting recycling initiatives to integrate sustainability into their business models. This movement is being led by major players like Reliance’s Yousta, IKEA, Decathlon, and Tata’s Zudio, all of which are making significant contributions to circularity.”
Infrastructure gaps in Textile Waste Management
India’s recycling infrastructure is currently limited to mechanical processes, which are more suited to thicker garments. “Recycling thinner fabrics like sarees, ladies’ dresswear, and cut materials remains a challenge due to technological limitations,” Mehta noted. The lack of advanced recycling facilities for thinner textiles underscores the need for significant investments in infrastructure and technology.
Mantri pointed out that the lack of transparency in the value chain, scalable local solutions for textile processing and the lack of a formal earning model for waste workers continue to hinder our progress towards a closed loop recycling system.
But therein lies an opportunity — with innovative recycling techniques, eco-friendly processes, a closed-loop approach and incorporating transparency with the use of technology — we can revolutionise the textile waste industry in India.
There is a dire need for an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy for textiles in order to maximise effectiveness, as well as going beyond downstream waste management. “By placing the responsibility on producers for collection, sorting and circulation of their products when they are discarded, we will be able to see EPR’s many benefits such as improving the cost-revenue dynamics for all stages - sorting, collection, reuse, recycling etc. as well as bring in the much needed transparency and traceability in the material flow helping attract the necessary capital investments as well,” Mantri added
The role of government regulations
Government regulations can play a critical role in promoting textile recycling, but they are not a panacea. “More than the desire to recycle, it’s the challenges that dampen the possibility,” Mehta said. He believes that regulations can encourage efforts like Design for Recycling, but achieving this is easier said than done. “It’s a mammoth or horrendous task to design textiles that are environmentally or climate-friendly in a country like India, which has diverse geographical and climatic conditions,” he pointed out.
Mantri explained, “Currently, there is a disconnect between manufacturers, designers, consumers, and recyclers, resulting in inefficient waste management. We need EPR as a solution to tackle textile waste effectively in India to drive innovation in recycling technologies, encourage re-use and proper disposal as well as overall collaboration in the textile supply chain. In India, we are still in the early stages of policy making and have a long way to go.”
Mehta remained optimistic about the future of textile recycling in India. “It’s important to start somewhere, and the easiest starting point is in-house and industrial textile waste recycling,” he suggested. Since these types of waste are easier to define and identify, they offer a practical entry point for large-scale recycling initiatives.
“This approach can minimise the use of PET bottles for making fibres, yarns, and filaments while encouraging the recycling of textile waste,” he adds. Mehta emphasised that even small steps in this direction can lead to significant changes. “If government regulations can support this initial phase, it could pave the way for a larger transformation. Brands could still claim they are eco-friendly while contributing to a more sustainable future.”
Mantri said, “From mechanical recycling hubs in Panipat and Tiruppur to the promise of chemical recycling for textile-to-textile solutions, we are beginning to see technologies and partnerships shaping the future of sustainable fashion.” India not only needs policies that will focus on encouraging green practices, but also grants & investments to build infrastructure as well as measures for textile waste management, he noted.