Bengaluru's Quiet Revolution Against Textile Waste
In the bustling JP Nagar area of south Bengaluru, a quiet revolution is unfolding at the local Dry Waste Collection Centre. Every morning, Kumudha, affectionately known as Kumudha Ma, meticulously separates bundles of old clothes from other garbage, educating residents about keeping textile waste separate from contaminated items like milk packets that could render fabrics unusable.
This systematic door-to-door collection of post-consumer textile waste represents a groundbreaking model being tested in India's tech capital. What makes it revolutionary is its integration into regular municipal waste collection while keeping informal waste-pickers at the heart of the operation.
The Birth of a Circular Textile Economy
The program emerged from a 2015 survey conducted by Hasiru Dala, a Bengaluru-based social impact organization working in solid waste management since 2013. The survey revealed a startling reality: each Dry Waste Collection Centre was generating approximately 1 tonne of cloth waste, while major recycling hubs in Panipat and Tirupur were importing foreign textile waste because it was cleaner and better segregated.
"We realized we needed to set up a pipeline because the lack of systematic collection made it difficult to find markets for reusable textiles," explains Nalini Shekar, co-founder and director of special projects at Hasiru Dala. "It's not enough to collect material—we need to send it to processors who can bring it back into the circular economy."
The program officially launched in 2018, creating an end-to-end system where collected textiles are sent to specialized recovery facilities for sorting before being channeled into downcycling, recycling, or resale markets.
Transforming Lives Through Textile Recovery
At the heart of this transformation are women like Indumathi, who runs a 5,500 square foot Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) in Cheemasandra on Bengaluru's outskirts. Her facility has already made significant impact, having diverted over 575 metric tonnes of textile waste from landfills and increased incomes for more than 300 waste-pickers.
Indumathi's work has gained international recognition, with UN-Habitat naming her TRF one of the world's top circular textile practices in March 2025. She even shared her insights with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Bharat Tex conference earlier this year, explaining how textile waste should be viewed as a resource rather than garbage.
"I told the PM about the problems faced by waste-pickers and how some of us have become business owners thanks to recycling textile waste," Indumathi says, standing proudly in her facility where mountains of fabric bundles reach toward the ceiling.
The Sorting Process and Market Opportunities
The sorting process at TRFs is remarkably detailed. Workers separate textiles into 10 distinct categories, including white fabrics, colored cottons, polyester, mixed fabrics, and reusable clothing. Some discarded items still have their original tags attached, representing significant value in the resale market.
This meticulous sorting positions India to capitalize on growing global demand for high-quality, sorted textile material, especially with the European Union's Extended Producer Responsibility rules for textiles taking effect next year. Manufacturers worldwide need traceable, sorted waste to produce new yarn, creating substantial market opportunities.
The economic impact on waste-pickers has been transformative. Where textile waste previously earned them nothing, they can now earn ₹3-5 per kilogram for collected materials. Indumathi shares the story of Anitha, an independent waste-picker who made ₹28,000 from textile waste alone in one month after receiving basic training.
Collaborative Approach to Scaling Impact
The success of Bengaluru's textile recycling model stems from a collaborative approach involving multiple organizations. Saamuhika Shakti, meaning "collective force" in Kannada, brings together 12 non-profits working in environment and livelihoods, including Hasiru Dala and Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF).
Other key partners include Enviu, which develops markets for recycled textiles; Sambhav Foundation, focusing on skilling waste-pickers; and Social Alpha, which incubates startups in textile waste management and technological innovation.
"Our job has been to connect the dots of textile waste collection, segregation, and recycling," says Venkat Kotamaraju, partner and director at CAIF. The organization is now taking lessons from Bengaluru to 10 other Indian cities, beginning with Bhopal.
Building Sustainable Systems for the Future
Other organizations like Saahas Zero Waste have joined the movement, running their own circular textile model since 2023. They collaborate with thrift stores like EcoDhaga and host periodic thrift and swap events through their Circle Up initiative.
Shobha Raghavan, CEO of Saahas Zero Waste, emphasizes the need for systemic change: "We need to scale up textile recovery urgently, and these cannot be run as one-off projects. These are systems that have to be built for the city, involving consumers, brands, and city governments."
As India confronts its massive textile waste problem—over 7 million tonnes annually, most destined for landfills—Bengaluru has emerged as a crucial test case for developing an inclusive, circular textile economy that benefits both the environment and some of society's most vulnerable workers.
The model demonstrates that what was once considered waste can become a valuable resource, creating economic opportunities while addressing environmental challenges. With the potential to scale across India and meet growing international demand for sorted textiles, Bengaluru's quiet revolution offers a blueprint for sustainable urban waste management that other cities can emulate.
