India recycles more than 70% of textile waste

More than 70 % of India’s textile waste—about 7.8 million tonnes a year—is now recovered and directed to recycling, up‑cycling, down‑cycling or reuse, according to a government factsheet released on 12 July. Over 90 % of the waste originates from domestic pre‑consumer (factory scrap) and post‑consumer streams, with pre‑consumer recovery reaching nearly 95 % through established value‑chain networks. The spinning sector achieves near‑closed‑loop circularity, while about 55 % of post‑consumer textile waste avoids landfill thanks to an extensive collection and sorting network.

The recycling ecosystem supports roughly 4‑4.5 million livelihoods, especially women from marginalised communities engaged in collection, sorting and redistribution. Key hubs include India’s first municipal textile recovery facility in Belapur, Navi Mumbai, which has processed 30 MT of post‑consumer waste, sorted 25.5 MT and produced over 400 up‑cycled samples, reaching 1.14 million families. Panipat serves as a major downstream processing centre handling 3,500‑5,250 TPD of waste, while informal networks such as Katran Market in Delhi link roadside handlers to formal clusters, supplying over 10 TPD of sorted cutting waste.

Policy measures promote organic fibres, safer chemicals, circular production, waste recovery, eco‑labelling and traceability, helping Indian textiles stay competitive in global markets that increasingly value low‑impact products.