Mumbai, Aug17: As India marks 80 years of Independence, ReFiber, powered by OterRi, launched its nationwide ‘Freedom from Unused Garments’ post-consumer textile collection drive at an online stakeholder meet, with Ms. Vrunda Desai, Textile Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, as the Chief Guest. The initiative calls for greater awareness around conscious consumption, textile waste and circularity.
The initiative brings together ReFiber, powered by OterRi, Tisser Artisan Trust, CMAI, UNIDO and Lions International to create accessible pathways for the collection, recovery, reuse and upcycling of unused garments.
Ms. Vrunda Desai, Textile Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, highlighted a different dimension of freedom, saying,
“Freedom from wasteful consumption, resource inefficiency and unsustainable habits.” Highlighting India’s textile sector, she added, “India’s textile sector is one of the largest in the world and reflects the Prime Minister’s vision of 5F – farm to fibre, fibre to factory, factory to fashion and fashion to foreign markets.”
Highlighting the scale of textile waste, Desai said,
“India generates around 70 lakh tons of textile waste annually with nearly 58% arising after consumer use.” She added, “Every discarded garment represents valuable resources like the fiber, water, energy, chemicals, the transportation and the human effort in it.”
Desai also highlighted the role of public figures in encouraging reuse, referring to Alia Bhatt’s wedding saree, which she re-fashioned and wore again for the National Film Awards in 2024. She said,
“These are the type of role models we look forward who recycle and upcycle their wardrobes and give a new life to the clothes they wear.”
Appreciating ReFiber’s approach, Desai said,
“I really appreciate the initiative of ReFiber, which provides citizens a simple digital platform to schedule doorstep collection of unused garments.You don’t have to go anywhere. You just need to press a button and schedule the pickup of your unused garments.”
As part of its wider circularity vision, ReFiber has appealed to the Ministry of Textiles to help connect it with upcyclers across India. The ReFiber Upcycler Marketplace, an exclusive marketplace for recycled and upcycled products, aims to provide upcyclers a platform to showcase their work and create new value from recovered textiles.
Dr. Megha Phansalkar, Founder, Tisser Artisan Trust, emphasised the need to change perceptions around discarded textiles. She said,
“Let’s think how we can bring our garments which are to be discarded, but not as a discarded material as a raw material for the further journey.”
Mr. Santosh Katariya, President, CMAI, said,
“Today we are looking at freedom from waste, freedom from unnecessary landfills.” He added, “Instead of garment ending up in landfills we can recover them through collection recycling and upcycling.” Highlighting the social impact, he said, “On one hand we are protecting the environment and on the other hand we are empowering women.”
Dr. Pankaj Kumar, National Project Coordinator, UNIDO, stressed the importance of viable economic models, saying,
“Whenever you develop we are talking for the sustainability we need to think about the financial model.” Calling for wider adoption, he added, “Mumbai is a case study. We need to think about the Pan-India also.”
Mr. Naveen Sainani, Hon. General Secretary, CMAI & Chairman – ESG, said,
“Today is not merely the launch of a waste collection drive. It is the beginning of a moment to change the way we look at the textile waste.”
He added,
“Collection only is the first step and the real success will come when the consumer understands that garment lying unused in their cupboard can have another purpose.”
Manoj Wanvari, COO, OterRi & ReFiber, said,
“Refiber is not just about collection of clothes. Collection is the first step. We are creating a circular ecosystem where these unused clothes can find a new purpose.”
Calling for stronger infrastructure for circularity, Wanvari said,
“We would request you to study the ReTuna model in Sweden. ReTuna is the world’s first recycling mall where everything sold is recycled or reused or has been organically or sustainably produced.” He added that similar infrastructure, with government support, could help strengthen India’s circular economy.
Wanvari also shared that the initiative had already received approximately 42 requests for collection of post-consumer textile waste through the ReFiber app, with the response coming organically.
As India celebrates its freedom, ReFiber seeks to add a new dimension to Independence Day, freedom from wasteful consumption and the opportunity to give unused garments a second life.