Navi Mumbai has launched an innovative project for managing post-consumer textile waste. Having gained momentum this month, this initiative aims to recycle discarded textiles into valuable products while promoting sustainability and employment.

Being executed by the Textile Committee under the Ministry of Textiles, in collaboration with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), this initiative began from CBD Belapur and will gradually cover all areas under the NMMC jurisdiction. While the fiber making procews may take time, the initiative will become fully functional within the next six months, says Dr Kailash Shinde, Commissioner, NMMC. 

The project is being executed in collaboration with SBI Foundation, IDH India Hub,  National Institute of Fashion Technology and Tisser Artisan Trust. As a part of this project, NMMC will install designated collection bins in 250 societies across Navi Mumbai to collect old clothes. NMMC has already installed 49 bins in 47 societies in the first phase in coordination with SBI Foundation and Tisser Artisan Trust,. The remaining bins will be placed in a phased manner.

To facilitate collection, a dedicated vehicle will be provided to gather textiles from various The collected clothes will be sorted and processed at a textile recycling center at Shakuntala Mahajan Multipurpose Building in CBD Belapur.

The segregation of usable textiles will be managed by the Tisser Artisan Trust which will then be upcycled using handlooms. This process will give new life to discarded garments by transforming them into different products. The finished items will be exhibited and sold in markets, with the involvement of women’s self-help groups to support economic empowerment.

The initiative will help reduce the burden of textile waste on NMMC’s solid waste management system while creating sustainable employment opportunities. It will particularly benefit local artisans and provide income opportunities for women.