Fashion for Good, in collaboration with key partners, has unveiled a groundbreaking toolkit, marking a significant stride in India's journey towards a waste-free textile industry. Celebrating the conclusion of the Sorting for Circularity India Project, a conference in New Delhi on December 1 and 2 will spotlight the launch of the "Re-START" textile recovery alliance. This initiative seeks to position India as a pivotal hub for Next-Gen solutions.
The Sorting for Circularity India toolkit, described as a milestone by Katrin Ley, Managing Director of Fashion for Good, presents insights into India's textile waste landscape, identifying potential, roadblocks, and commercial opportunities. The project, initiated in 2021, brought together industry leaders, including adidas, Levi Strauss & Co., and H&M, emphasizing a collaborative approach.
According to Fashion for Good's Wealth in Waste report, 1,720 KTons of 100% cotton post-consumer domestic textile waste in India goes unvalorised annually. With impending legislation on textile waste management, the value of post-consumer waste is expected to rise, necessitating a focus on developing infrastructure for collection, sorting, and pre-processing.
The conference in December aims to share the toolkit's insights, formally announcing the Re-START Alliance, a collaborative effort by Fashion for Good, Laudes Foundation, IDH, and Canopy. The alliance aims to scale the project's findings, establishing a formal textile waste supply chain, robust infrastructure, policy interventions, and industry appetite, with an official launch scheduled for Q1 2024. Nicole Rycroft, Canopy Executive Director, highlights India's potential to become a global leader in low-carbon Next Gen textile production through sustainable practices and global collaboration.
