Report released by Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh says the country generates 70.73 lakh tonnes of textile waste annually, with recycling and circular production practices gaining ground across the sector
India produces about 70.73 lakh tonnes of textile waste each year, with more than 95 per cent of pre-consumer waste already being recovered through established industry networks, according to a new report released by Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh.
The report, titled Mapping of Textile Waste Value Chain in India, presents a detailed assessment of textile waste generation in the country and examines recycling routes, technologies and opportunities to strengthen circularity across the textile value chain.
Singh said India’s textile industry, one of the largest globally, is well-positioned to drive the transition toward more sustainable and circular production systems. He emphasised that as the sector continues to expand rapidly, ensuring that growth aligns with sustainability objectives will be critical.
The report analyses both pre-consumer and post-consumer textile waste streams, maps recycling practices across major textile clusters, documents emerging recycling technologies and outlines policy suggestions to support a circular textile ecosystem in India.
The study estimates that the country generates around 70.73 lakh tonnes of textile waste each year. Of this, about 42 per cent comes from pre-consumer sources such as manufacturing waste, while the remaining 58 per cent arises from post-consumer disposal.
Cluster-level analysis indicates that Panipat is emerging as a major centre for mechanical textile recycling, with waste from multiple textile hubs transported there for processing.
According to the report, building recycling infrastructure across textile clusters could significantly enhance efficiency and allow waste to be processed closer to where it is generated.
The findings suggest that more than 70 per cent of India’s textile waste is currently recovered and directed into recycling, upcycling, downcycling or reuse channels.
Recovery rates are particularly strong for pre-consumer waste. The report estimates that nearly 95 per cent of such waste is collected and reused, reflecting well-established recovery networks within the textile value chain.
The spinning segment, in particular, has developed an effective closed-loop system, with nearly all spinning waste reintegrated directly into production. Soft waste generated during spinning is typically reused within the same process because the waste streams are homogeneous, the generation and processing points are close to each other, and clear quality standards exist for recycled inputs.
For post-consumer waste, the report notes that roughly 55 per cent is diverted away from landfills. This is largely supported by a widespread informal network involved in the collection and sorting of used textiles.
The report adds that this informal ecosystem sustains around 40–45 lakh livelihoods, largely involving women from marginalised communities who are engaged in collecting, sorting and redistributing discarded textiles.
