Page 14 - baseline

Executive Summary

It has been identified that most waste is recycled 6.Consumer engagement - The industry needs to Contributors
and reused, and individuals unknowingly engage in engage consumers in circularity by making it easy or them
circularity. In addition, it is also observed that waste to recycle their clothes and buy sustainable products.
is downcycled and used in other industries, such as
pulp and paper, automobile, home textiles industry, etc. 7.End-of-life management – Recycling, upcycling,
Small enterprises further utilize waste as fuel. donation, and other practices should be explored to GIZ Team
manage post-consumer waste properly.
The clothing’s recycling potential is influenced by
its quality, degree of usage, physical condition, and By taking these steps, the Indian T&A industry can lead Dr. Shailendra Dwivedi
inclusion of accessories such as buttons, emblems, in the transition to a circular economy.
Dr. Shailendra Dwivedi is Director-Climate Change & Circular Economy in
labels, etc. Artificial recycled fibres come from sources
GIZ India. He has over two decades of experience in the climate change and
other than clothing, such as PET bottles and pre- The ‘6Rs Strategy’ is a comprehensive approach to
development sector in the fields of urban and industrial environment, rural
consumer waste. The recycling fibre hierarchy begins textile waste management that can be implemented by
development and decentralization with GIZ and other civil society organizations.
predominantly with producing coarse recycled yarn all stakeholders in the value chain. These include:
He possesses a Doctoral degree in Sociology from Indian Institute of
through open-end spinning. The raw materials for
Technology, Kanpur and a Master’s degree in Rural Development.
recyclers consist of imported textile waste, brand- l Redesign practices that are not sustainable.
driven collection initiatives, and donated clothing. l Reduce resource utilization and waste disposal in
textile production by minimizing the amount
Findings indicate that practices in the T & A value of water, energy, and chemicals used in apparel
chain contribute to the circular economy to a manufacturing and the amount of waste generated
certain extent. However, significant challenges and by industrial processes. Ms. Meghana Kshirsagar
gaps remain in scaling up and formalizing these l Utilizing durable materials and repairing, refurbishing, Meghana Kshirsagar is a Senior Advisor - Climate Change & Circular Economy
practices and implementing novel circular practices. or repurposing textiles constitute reuse. in GIZ-India. She leads projects on circular economy approaches in the textile &
l Remanufacturing is an effective method for extending apparel value chain, and mainstreaming climate actions from local to global. She
The following are some key areas that have been clothing life by disassembling aged clothing, is a Climate change and Sustainability professional with 21 years of professional
identified by observing existing circularity practices where recovering valuable components, and then redesigning experience working with Govt, Non- Govt. & Private sector.
the industry can focus its efforts to improve circularity: and reassembling parts to produce new clothing or
accessories of equal or higher quality.
1.Waste management - The industry can reduce l Old textiles can be recycled into new fibres using
waste by improving its product design, using more mechanical or chemical processes.
sustainable materials, and recycling more waste. l All post-use fabrics that cannot be recycled
should be returned to nature, where they can Ms. Kavya Arora
2.Infrastructure - The industry must invest in decompose and regenerate into new fibre crops. Kavya Arora has seven years of professional experience in the sustainability and
infrastructure supporting circularity, such as recycling development cooperation space. She is a Junior Technical Advisor - Climate
facilities and collection centres. By implementing the ‘6Rs Strategy’, the Indian textile Change & Circular Economy at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
and apparel industry can significantly reduce its Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) in Delhi, India. She specializes in working with public
3.Value chain education and awareness - The environmental impact and contribute to a more circular and private stakeholders on the themes of circular economy, climate change
industry needs to educate its stakeholders about the economy. adaptation, waste management, livelihoods, and the SDGs.
benefits of circularity and how they can contribute to it.
In conclusion, the Indian textile and apparel industry
4.Government policy - The Government can support is making significant strides towards circularity.
circularity by providing incentives for sustainable By leveraging traditional practices of reusing and
practices and regulating the industry to reduce its recycling textiles and adopting circularity principles,
environmental impact. the industry can contribute to waste reduction,
resource conservation, and the overall sustainability
5.Research & Development - The industry must of the sector. Scaling up identified circular practices
invest in Research and Development to develop new and promoting novel innovations throughout the value
technologies and manufacturing processes, supporting chain will showcase India’s commitment to a circular
circularity. economy in the industry.

14 Baseline Assessment Report Baseline Assessment Report 2023 15