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Textile waste is a global issue that has been looming over the fashion industry for years. The excessive production of clothing and textiles has led to immense amounts of waste, filling up landfills and harming the environment. However, with the rise of sustainability and circular economy practices, there is hope for a brighter future where textile waste can be transformed into valuable resources, creating a new economic paradigm, focused on reuse and innovation.
The landscape of textile reusability is vast and can be divided into segments in different ways. The visual below is a effort to understand this landscape with it's current positioniong in the circular economy. While commerce exists at all levels and segments of this landscape, there is scope of improvement at every node. This could be a huge opportunity for budding entrepreneurs. While some might find this complicated landscape unruly and thus risky, it offers huge opportunities for innovators who dare to think differently. Let's delve into the various aspects of textile waste reusability and the economy it can generate:
Circular Economy: Redefining Fashion Sustainability
In the realm of textile waste management, the concept of a circular economy has gained significant traction. Instead of following the traditional linear model of 'take-make-dispose,' the circular economy promotes a closed-loop system where materials/articles are reused with minimal or no carbon footprints. By embracing circularity in the fashion industry, reusable textile can be given a second lifecycle, reducing the need for virgin materials and minimizing the industry's environmental footprint. It is worth noting here that the phenomenon is prevelant in both pre and post consumer clothing.
Apparel producing countries have seen rejects and surplus from export consignments making way into the informal local markets/bazaars. Sarojini nagar market in Delhi is a well-known hub for the same. There have been serious efforts by startups in Bangalore to rebrand and market them in affordable segments..
Charities like British Heart Foundation pioneered the phenomemnon long before circularity in textiles was a buzz word. For decades, organisations like these have collected useable, preloved clothes and other utility items from generous donors. These donations are then sanitised and sold at very affordable prices at high street stores. The process ensures circularity while mainatining dignity for everyone in the chain.
Renting has emerged as a niche segment recently with corporate style e-com stores taking prominence. However very few know that renting occassion wear has been an integral part of the commerce generated by the wedding economy, more so in semi-urban parts of India.
Swapping wearables, again an upcoming trend in the west has roots in the family traditions of younger siblings wearing hand-me-downs from the older ones, including cousins. Where, increasing prejudices reduced the trend, immaculately planned swap events are reviving the phenomenon by bringing like-minded strangers together, dodging prejudices rooted in familiarity.
Sustainable Yarn/non-woven Production: Weaving Magic from Shredded Waste
One innovative approach to textile waste reusability lies in the production of yarns from shredded textile waste. Through advanced recycling technologies, discarded textiles are transformed into high-quality yarns, ready to be woven into new fabrics. This sustainable practice not only reduces the demand for raw materials but also promotes eco-friendly manufacturing processes, paving the way for a more sustainable future for the textile industry.
The phenomenon can be divided into 3 segments. Uniform synthetic waste can be repurposed into new yarns by melt spinning. Natural fibre textile waste can be shredded and respun into yarns that could be coarser in nature but find applications in segments like home-furnishing.
However, the biggest issue in this segment is the mixed fibre waste that is not suitable for prevelant methods of yarn formation. There have been some breakthrough work in converting this mixed fibre shredded waste into non-wovens. Some organisations are devising methods of removing the minority yarns in the mix by solvent methods. More innovation is sought in this segment considering that highest volume of textile waste available for shredding is mixed in nature.
It is interesting to note here that textile waste shredding and repurposing has been a dominant cottage industry in textile towns of Panipat, Amroha & Pilakhuwa in UP for decades. This in itself is a proof of the economic viability of the process albeit informal and low margin. Integrating these processes into an economically viable formal unit that would then bring innovation and profitability is still awaited.
Repurposing Waste: Beyond Textiles
Creative minds have explored alternative ways to repurpose textile waste into non-textile products, such as insulation materials, upholstery stuffing, and even bio-based plastics. By diversifying the applications of textile waste, we not only reduce waste in landfills but also uncover new avenues for innovative product development and economic growth.
Innovative approach to textile waste has seen waste being converted into products like furniture, bricks, bags and a lot more. However, the segment is still considered less sustainable than the previous two options.
Most textile fibres, if left to themselves, would degrade at a certain rate. No doubt, the rate is too slow to cope up with the alarmingly increasing landfill issue. However, repurposing textile waste into non-textile materials could be process intensive (add more carbon foorprints) and add more non-degradable matter to the waste. This might ensure that the said textile waste might loose whatever capability it has to degrade naturally.
Innovators have come across solutions like use of additives like natural resins and other natural materials that would not decrease the degardation capacity of the textile waste material. Extreme caution needs to be exercised in accepting the sustainability claims of repurposed materials for this reason
Energy Generation: The Dark Side of Textile Waste Disposal
Despite the promising initiatives in textile waste reusability, some less sustainable practices still persist. One such practice involves burning textile waste to generate energy. While this method may seem like a quick fix to waste management, it comes at a high environmental cost, releasing harmful emissions into the atmosphere and contributing to air pollution. As we strive for a greener future, it's crucial to prioritize sustainable approaches to waste disposal and energy generation.
Landfill Dilemma: Confronting the Textile Waste Monster
Every year, millions of tons of textile waste end up in landfills, creating a massive environmental burden that continues to grow. The decomposition of textiles in landfills releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. By addressing the landfill issue through waste reduction, recycling initiatives, and sustainable practices, we can mitigate the impact of textile waste on the environment and move towards a more sustainable waste management system.
Want to research more about succesful enterprises in this sector? Click on this link for a fun short exercise!
Trash to Treasure
While thare has been a lot of buzz around generating economic opportunities from textile waste, the proof of concept in terms of scalability and profitability has so far evaded expectations.
The process of Trash to Treasure in Textiles has the potential of creating opportunities at multiple levels. However, the approach has to be different from a classic business model. In a classic business idea, the 4 Ps Product, Place , Price and Promotion need to be sorted around the target customer/business idea.
STEP 1: Identify the required category of raw material/ trash / textile waste
In a 'Trash to Treasure' enterprise, the raw material, i.e., would become your primary determining factor. What can be done with the textile waste would largely be determined by the quality of textile waste. The textile waste could be single fibre, mix of multiple fibres, white, coloured, clean pre-consumer, sanitised post-consumer or simply sorted from garbage dump! It is worth noting here that the end-use, amount of processing and therefore the costing will differ while working with each of these categories of textile waste. Once the category of textile waste to be used has been identified, make note of the following:
Is the identified category waste easily available?
What is material quality?
What quanities are available?
What is the frequency of availability?
Is supply side steady?
Logistics of procurement?
Laws and legislations......
STEP 2: Identify the source of selected category of textile waste.
Textile waste could be pre-consumer and post consumer. The supply chain for pre-consumer textile waste is somewhat organised. As per Mr. Sandeep Jain from TT Industries, Amroha, an average 15% of fabric gets removed at the time of pattern cutting. This waste is well-sorted and clean and would require minimal processing in the recycling process. The off-cuts are systematically collected by shredders who then supply shredded fibre or recycled yarn to furnishing industry. Similar process is followed by manufacturers in Surat and Panipat.
It is worth noting here that close to 30% manufacturing of apparel is customised in small to medium sized boutiques who might not be part of this organised scrap collection chain. This gap could be an opportunity for the startups and microbusiness enthusiasts.
In case of post-consumer textile waste, Panipat cluster can be seen a pioneer. For decades old clothing has been imported from western countries and converted to blankets and other home furnishing products by the Panipat cluster. However, at the moment the source of textile waste is few developed nations where textile waste collection is an organised process. It is understandable that the process cannot be exactly replicated in a the culturally diverse country like ours. Textile waste collection from domestic households would need creative incentivisation which could be another gap waiting to be monitised. Did your grandma tell you stories about how she exchanged old family clothing for new shining steel utemsils? Did there generation every binned old clothing?
STEP 3: Check Market Feasibility of the Business Idea
Once sourcing of raw material has been ascertained. It's time to check the market feasibility of the proposed business idea. Read more about this in our stories:
STEP 4: Check Financial Feasibility of the Business Idea
For beginners, Cash Flow Forecasting could be one of the rudimentary but effective ways of checking the financial viability of the proposed project. Break-even period for an SME could be anything between 6-18 months. However, this time period could be 3-6 months for microbusinesses. Developing a cash-flow projection at this stage could
Help businesses check the financial viability of the project
Provide useful insights about monthly revenue targets keping a certain time period in mind. The template for cash flow projection could look something like this:
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | |
Opening Balance | |||||||||
INFLOW | |||||||||
Product 1 sale | |||||||||
Product 2sale | |||||||||
Services | |||||||||
TOTAL INFLOW | |||||||||
OUTFLOW | |||||||||
Expense 1 | |||||||||
Expense 2 | |||||||||
Expense 3 | |||||||||
TOTAL OUTFLOW | |||||||||
Net Cash Flow | |||||||||
Closing Balance |
The cash-flow forecast could be developed for 12 months or more. Most businesses would have there Net Cash Flow negative in the early months. Break even point is where this figure becomes 0 and further positive, all while keeping the monthly revenue targets realistic.
What Next????
Go ahead and launch!
In conclusion, the journey from textile waste to reusability is a story of transformation and innovation. By harnessing the potential of circular economy principles, sustainable practices in yarn production, creative repurposing of waste, and tackling the challenges of energy generation and landfill management, we can unlock new opportunities for economic growth and environmental conservation. Together, let's embrace the power of textile waste reusability and pave the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future.
Remember, each piece of textile waste holds the potential to be a catalyst for positive change. Let's turn trash into treasure and weave a brighter tomorrow for generations to come.
Do you have any personal stories of innovative textile reuse or commerce generated from it? Please share them in the commnet box below. You could be the motivation behind the next impactful startup!
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very well explained. You might want to add a few examples of brands or organisations that make such products.
The attached exercise made me learn about so many innovative brands in sustainability. I didn't know about most of them before.
The landscape has been explained in simple, understandable terms.