Introduction
Welcome to the first edition of the Post-consumer Textile Waste Circularity Newsletter! In this newsletter, we will discuss the challenges India faces with post-consumer textile waste and how Green Worms is committed to tackling this environmental concern. We believe that every stage of the product life cycle, including the end-of-life phase, is crucial in making a transition to Circularity.
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: Upcycled Textiles Solutions
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.
At Green Worms, we have developed a comprehensive approach to post-consumer textile waste that focuses on upcycled textiles solutions. Our approach includes the following steps:
1. Textile Waste Collection:
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 fiber, mixed fiber, and color-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 fibers, and we use 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. Channelizing Recycling:
The post-consumer clothes that are recyclable are being segregated and channeled to sustainability-conscious textile recyclers.
We 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.
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-month 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.
The Sorting for Circularity project in India aims to:
- Understand the current post-consumer textile waste material flow in India for:
- Composition of Post-consumer textile waste.
- Identify technologies that can assist in mapping and sorting pre and post-consumer waste.
- Pilot the solutions to prove the efficacy of the technologies identified.
- Build a roadmap for the implementation of these solutions along with stakeholders to create access to high-quality waste feedstocks to recycle.
A Training program was held in Bangalore, and the 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. The 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:
- Identify the circular roles that can be impacted by the transition.
- Understand and map roles that may increase, decrease, or newly emerge.
- Assess the impact of the pilot or the move towards circularity.
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.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading the first edition of the Post-consumer Textile Waste Circularity Newsletter! In this newsletter, we discussed the challenges of post-consumer textile waste and how Green Worms is committed to tackling this environmental concern through upcycled textiles solutions. Stay tuned for future editions where we will provide updates on our work and learnings. Together, we can build a more sustainable, circular, and responsible future for the textile and fashion industry and the planet as a whole.