Textile Recycling And Circular Economy

Key Highlights:

• The Government is promoting textile recycling and a circular economy in the textile sector through various initiatives.
• The Tex-Eco Initiative was announced in the Union Budget 2026–27 to support innovative technologies for textile waste management and recycling.
• The Ministry of Textiles conducted a study titled "Mapping of Textile Waste Value Chain in India" to estimate pre-consumer and post-consumer waste.
• An ESG Task Force has been constituted to deliberate on sustainable production, certification, and exports.
• Initiatives include the UNIDO-GEF project for eliminating hazardous chemicals and the UNEP In-Tex India Project for accelerating circularity.
• Support for sustainable R&D is provided under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) and a sustainability framework for PM MITRA Parks.
• Promotion of upcycled products in government procurement is facilitated through an MoU involving the Textiles Committee, SCOPE, and GeM.

Detailed Insights:

• The Tex-Eco Initiative aims to foster a globally competitive and sustainable textiles and apparel sector by promoting recycled fibres and high-value products from discarded textiles.
• The "Mapping of Textile Waste Value Chain in India" report provides crucial data on waste generation from manufacturing and post-consumer sources.
• The ESG Task Force also facilitates industry-centric programs like Circular Samvaad and the Cluster Exchange Mechanism.
• The UNIDO-GEF project specifically targets the elimination of hazardous chemicals from the textile fashion supply chain.
• The UNEP In-Tex India Project utilizes Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to transition the Indian textile sector towards circularity.
• NTTM supports environmentally sustainable research and development, contributing to greener textile technologies.
• The sustainability framework for PM MITRA Parks ensures that these integrated textile regions adhere to environmental best practices.
• The MoU among the Textiles Committee, SCOPE, and GeM encourages the procurement of upcycled products by government entities.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Circular Economy: An economic model focused on reducing waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.
• Textile Recycling: The process of recovering fiber material from textile waste and reprocessing it into new textile products.
• ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance): A set of standards for a company's operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments.