Post-consumer Textile Waste Circularity Newsletter - 1st Edition
Green Worms
Co-creating Circularity & Dignified Jobs that are impactful, traceable & compliant in Collab with Brands ????
Welcome to the first edition of the Post-consumer Textile Waste Circularity Newsletter!
India faces significant challenges with post-consumer textile waste due to its large population and growing fast fashion. India is one of the world’s largest textile producers and consumers, generating a substantial amount of textile waste. In 2019, India generated over 6 million tonnes of textile waste. However, the recycling rate for textile waste in India is relatively low. It is estimated that less than 20% of the total textile waste generated is recycled.
At Green Worms, we are committed to tackling the growing environmental concern of post-consumer textile waste. Our stance revolves around the belief that every stage of the product life cycle, including the end-of-life phase, is crucial in making a transition to Circularity.
In the early stages of our journey, we acknowledge that the value chain for post-consumer textile waste is broken. We see this as an opportunity to lead the way in developing innovative solutions and building a sustainable value chain from scratch with traceability and safe working conditions.
Our approach to post-consumer textile waste:
Post-consumer textile waste is collected from households majorly through scheduled Cloth waste collection drives. Further, the collected textile waste is sent to Green Worms’s Textile Waste Circularity Hub.
2) Textile Waste Segregation:
At the Green Worms Textile Waste Circularity Hub the post-consumer textile waste is segregated into different categories such as single fibre, mixed fibre, and colour based. This is the most challenging task in managing post-consumer textile waste as it is very difficult to identify the type of textile due to its composition made of blended fibres and we used sensors to identify the type of textile and sort accordingly.
3) Swap:?
The textiles that are of good quality and re-wearable are utilized further through Swap Programs. Here we engage local communities to come and Swap their clothes with our pre-loved collection.?
4) Repair & Redesign: The clothes that are damaged but are in repairable condition are repaired and redesigned into beautiful wearables.?
5) Upcycle: Textiles that are low-value and difficult to wear or not possible to be recycled are Upcycled into Reusable products such as bags, pouches, etc.??
6) Channelising Recycling:
The Post-consumer clothes that are recyclable are being segregated and channelized to sustainability-conscious textile recyclers.
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We also understand that it will take collective efforts from various stakeholders to establish a robust value chain for post-consumer textile waste. Green Worms is committed to taking on this challenge, working towards a more sustainable, circular, and responsible future for the textile & fashion industry and the planet as a whole.?
The Growing Threat: Post-Consumer Textile Waste
The fashion industry's rapid growth and relentless pursuit of new trends have led to an alarming increase in post-consumer textile waste, posing a significant threat to our environment. Post-consumer textile waste encompasses used clothing, household textiles, and other discarded materials, making it a complex and diverse waste stream compared to pre-consumer and industrial waste.
One of the most concerning aspects of post-consumer textile waste is its sheer volume. As fashion consumption skyrockets, the mountains of discarded garments and textiles continue to grow, straining landfill space and waste management to their limits. Unlike pre-consumer waste, which often consists of controlled manufacturing scraps, post-consumer waste comprises a wide range of fabrics, dyes, finishes, and additives, making recycling and processing more challenging.
The lack of consistent quality control in post-consumer textile waste further complicates recycling efforts. Unlike pre-consumer and industrial waste, which typically come from controlled manufacturing processes, post-consumer waste comes from various sources and, therefore, exhibits a less predictable material quality, often contaminated with impurities.
Additionally, many regions lack sufficient collection infrastructure to handle the vast amounts of post-consumer textile waste effectively. Without proper collection systems, a significant percentage of post-consumer textiles end up in landfills or incinerators, exacerbating the environmental impact.
Moreover, post-consumer textiles may contain harmful chemicals, dyes, and finishes, posing risks to both the environment and human health. When disposed of improperly, these chemicals can leach into the soil and water, polluting ecosystems and adversely affecting local communities.
Another disconcerting aspect of post-consumer textile waste lies in the decomposition of certain synthetic textiles, such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic. These materials can take hundreds of years to break down in landfills, leading to long-lasting environmental consequences.
Addressing the challenges of post-consumer textile waste demands urgent and comprehensive strategies. The concept of a circular economy, where products are designed for reusability, repairability, and recycling, offers hope. Sustainable design practices can minimize waste generation by incorporating biodegradable and eco-friendly materials, while responsible consumption can reduce the overall demand for fast fashion and encourage conscious buying choices.
Sorting for Circularity Project
Green Worms was one of the few handpicked companies in India to be part of the Sorting for Circularity project. It was scheduled to be a two months project to understand the post-consumer waste by effective Segregation of waste through sensors and effective data collection to understand the composition of post-consumer textile waste. But we were able to complete it in 40 days. Sorting for Circularity, India is a consortium funded by Laudes Foundation, Orchestrated by Fashion for Good , alongside innovators and supply chain partners.?
Sorting for circularity project in India aims to:?
A Training program was held in Bangalore and Green Worms team joined the program to learn about the Project implementation.
At Green Worms Waste Circularity Hub 1/10, we have kick-started the project and have used sensors for segregation of the post-consumer textile waste. During this project, we were able to identify the composition of the Post-consumer textile waste. Our team has almost mapped out each piece of textile waste and this process has given us deep insights to build a post-consumer textile waste value chain. Project was managed by Fawaz Muhammed
Green Worms team has recently hosted?Saurabh Dey?and?Somatish Banerji?from?Intellecap?&?Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF)?at our Waste Circularity Hub 1/10. CAIF has been working on building an ecosystem for Post-consumer textile waste in India. CAIF was bringing all the stakeholders in the value chain to build solutions while bringing fashion and apparel brands, Recyclers and Waste Management enterprises to be part of the solution.
Green Worms?team is looking forward to collaborating with CAIF to build the value chain for Post-consumer textile waste.
Green Worms was also engaged in Circular Fashion, “Social Impact of Circularity”, the study implemented by Catalyst Management Services and being funded by Levi Strauss & Co. The social impact assessment will be layered on the formative research conducted by Sattva Consulting & Fashion for Good . The objective of the Social Impact study will be to add workers’ perspectives to the business-led value chain study. The study aimed to:
Meeting with Ambercycle
Our team had a brief meeting with Ambercycle, a textile recycling startup focused on recycling Post-consumer polyester waste. We exchanged knowledge and are looking forward to collaborating with them.
Please note that we will be publishing the post-consumer textile waste newsletter once every month to give an update about the work we do and also our learnings. Follow this space for more!
Thank you for reading!