Navi Mumbai’s textile upcycling project promotes sustainability and employment through discarded garment recycling | File Photo
Navi Mumbai: Navi Mumbai Municipal corporation (NMMC) has taken the novel initiative directed towards upcycling discarded clothes into new products. The project will tackle the issue of discarded clothes and with this Navi Mumbai has become the first city in India to implement an innovative post-consumer textile management project.
Usable clothes such as pants, shirts, jackets, dresses, children’s clothing, blankets, bedsheets, and towels, while avoiding soiled or medical waste textiles, sanitary items, mattresses, leather accessories, and industrial fabrics are to be collected in the coming days from residents.
“Under the initiative led by the Textile Committee of the Government of India, discarded clothes will be collected, processed, and upcycled into new products, promoting sustainability and employment generation,” said an official.
Through this project, handloom techniques will be used to upcycle discarded garments into new products, which will be showcased in markets for sale, with women’s self-help groups playing an active role.
NMMC has collaborated with SBI Foundation Ltd., IDH India Hub Pvt. Ltd., and Tisser Artisan Trust. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed among these organizations.
“The initiative was officially inaugurated on October 11, 2024, by the then Chief Minister. The project also received special recognition from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a national event in New Delhi,” informed the official.
With the fast-changing fashion trends leading to increased textile waste, this initiative aims to create a sustainable system for managing used clothes, converting waste into valuable products while also generating employment opportunities for artisans, particularly empowering women.
Officials entrusted with the project informed that as part of the first phase, 250 housing societies in Navi Mumbai will be equipped with special collection bins for used clothing.
“So far, 49 bins have been installed across 47 societies, with further expansion planned. The collected textiles will be transported using dedicated vehicles and processed at the Textile Recycling Center set up in CBD Belapur,” explained the official.
Residents have been asked to participate in the initiative by depositing their usable discarded garments in the designated collection bins or at nearby 3R Centers.
“The project will not only reduce the burden on landfills but also create new employment opportunities, making it a model for sustainable textile waste management in India,” said the Municipal commissioner Kailas Shinde.
