In the recently concluded Global Textile Technology & Engineering Show (GTTES) 2025, during its B2B session, dedicated to textile waste recycling, emerged as a beacon of hope, showcasing innovative projects and collaborative efforts aimed at transforming the industry's environmental footprint.

The session highlighted the alarming statistics surrounding textile waste, with speakers emphasizing the urgent need for action. A groundbreaking initiative in Navi Mumbai, spearheaded by the Textile Committee in collaboration with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, SBI Foundation, IDH, and various Self-Help Groups (SHGs), took center stage. This project, aiming to divert 200 metric tons of textile waste from landfills in its first phase, is not just about environmental conservation; it's about empowering communities, particularly women, through sustainable livelihoods.

Addressing Textile Waste: A collective imperative

The session underscored the alarming statistics surrounding textile waste, emphasizing the pressing need for immediate action. K V Ganpathy, CEO of Tisser, articulated the gravity of the situation: "For 1 kilo of post-consumer textile, approximately 20 kg of carbon dioxide gets emitted. Through this project in the first phase, we want to approximately look at 200 metric tons of post-consumer textile waste to be stopped from going into landfills. This is a collective issue for us as a society... The entire mechanism is to collect the post-consumer textile waste from societies located in Navi Mumbai, using women empowerment and capacity building mechanisms."

Empowering women, building communities

At the heart of the project, officially titled "Sustainability in the Textile Value Chain", lies a commitment to women's empowerment. By engaging 80 local SHGs in the collection and processing of textile waste, the initiative is set to generate approximately 500 jobs in the NMMC area. The establishment of a 3,000 sq ft Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) in Belapur will act as a centralized hub for recycling and upcycling activities.

Tapan K Raut, Director (MR) Textile Committee shed light on the project's broader environmental implications: "A t-shirt in the process of production uses more than 2,700 liters of water. The water consumption required for the production of two pieces of cloth is more than 10,000 liters. The textile and clothing industry is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gases. This is the first of its kind project in the world... recycling and upcycling these products will create value chain messages for the world and contribute towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals."

Tisser's role in steering the revolution

Tisser has emerged as the driving force behind the initiative, leveraging its technological expertise and unwavering commitment to sustainability. Their involvement spans three critical pillars:

• Technology Integration: Tisser is optimizing the waste collection and sorting process through a dedicated app for scheduling pickups and tracking waste flow, ensuring efficiency and transparency.

• Capacity Building: The organization is actively training SHG members in textile waste sorting, processing, and upcycling empowering women with essential skills while fostering community ownership.

• Market Linkages: Tisser is facilitating access to markets for upcycled products, enabling SHGs to generate sustainable incomes and ensuring the project's long-term viability.

Ganpathy reinforced this collaborative vision: "We believe that this small step, in collaboration with the Textile Committee, NMMC, SBI Foundation, IDH, and SHGs, is a first attempt at comprehensive stakeholder collaboration."

Public-Private Partnership: A blueprint for success

The involvement of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has been pivotal in anchoring the project's community-centric approach. Sunil Pawar, Additional Commissioner of NMMC, highlighted the city's waste management efforts: "Our goal is to establish India’s cleanest city... We manage 750 metric tons of waste per day, including 40 to 45 metric tons of textile waste. The principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle are foundational to our approach, and partnerships with citizens and corporate entities are crucial for capacity building."

This synergy between public institutions, private enterprises, and local communities is the bedrock of the project's potential for scalability and long-term impact.

A vision for the future

The project is not just a local endeavour it aspires to serve as a model for similar initiatives across India and beyond. Kartikay Dhanda, Chief Guest and CEO, Secretary, Textiles Committee, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, emphasized the broader vision: "It's our responsibility to make it safer for our future generations. Once this project is a hundred percent success, I will put a success story on the website, and everybody can adopt it. This is a future that we should, as Indians, be proud of."

The initiative is expected to positively impact around 1,500 families, significantly reduce textile waste in landfills and waterways, and create a ripple effect of economic and social empowerment. The introduction of QR codes on garments further underscores the project's commitment to transparency and sustainable consumption.

The "Sustainability in the Textile Value Chain" project, with Tisser at the helm, is setting a precedent for the textile industry proving that environmental conservation, community empowerment, and economic sustainability can go hand in hand.