Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai turning textile waste into opportunity

Navi Mumbai has emerged as a pioneer by setting up India’s first municipal Textile Recovery Facility in Belapur through the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC).

Navi Mumbai: In a significant push towards urban sustainability, Navi Mumbai’s Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) is transforming post-consumer textile waste into a resource stream through a circular economy model anchored in technology and community participation. Implemented under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, the initiative aims to reduce landfill burden, generate livelihoods, and establish a scalable framework for other cities.

Navi Mumbai, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, has emerged as a pioneer by setting up India’s first municipal Textile Recovery Facility in Belapur through the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). The project addresses a largely neglected waste category by integrating decentralised collection, scientific processing, and women-led livelihood generation.

The TRF has been designed as a comprehensive ecosystem rather than a standalone collection centre. The process begins with decentralised collection through textile bins installed across residential societies in all eight municipal wards. So far, 140 bins have been deployed, with plans to expand to 250 to enhance accessibility and citizen participation.

At the interim facility in Belapur—set up in a repurposed urban health centre—collected textiles undergo systematic processing. Materials are weighed, tagged, and categorised into reusable, recyclable, upcyclable, downcyclable, and reject streams. The use of KOSHA handheld scanners enables real-time fibre identification, including cotton, polyester, wool, and silk, improving sorting accuracy and recovery efficiency.

A digital tracking system, currently under development, is expected to enable end-to-end traceability of materials from donation to final product, strengthening transparency and data-driven operations. Post identification, textiles are segregated by type, colour, and condition, followed by sanitisation to ensure safety and usability.

Recovered materials are then upcycled into products such as bags, mats, garments, accessories, and home décor items. These are produced by women from self-help groups (SHGs) and marketed through exhibitions and public events, extending the lifecycle of discarded textiles.

The initiative has also created a structured livelihood ecosystem. Over 300 women have been trained through eight-day Training-of-Trainers modules covering fibre identification, repair techniques, and upcycling skills. More than 150 women are currently earning between Rs 9,000 and Rs 15,000 per month through sorting, stitching, and product manufacturing.

Operational data indicates significant impact. The TRF has collected 30 metric tonnes of textile waste, with 25.5 MT scientifically processed. Over 41,000 items have been handled at an average rate of 500 items per day. Outreach efforts have reached over 1.14 lakh households, with more than 75 awareness workshops conducted and 350 housing society representatives onboarded.

Innovation remains a key feature, with over 400 upcycled product samples developed, including a pilot batch of paper produced from rejected textile waste. The initiative has also participated in more than 30 exhibitions, enhancing public awareness and market access for SHG products.

Initial challenges—such as resistance to bin placement, low awareness of segregation, and complexities in handling mixed fibres—were addressed through phased implementation, continuous engagement, and technological intervention.

Building on current success, NMMC plans to establish a permanent, high-capacity TRF at Koparkhairane near Nisarg Udyan, positioning Navi Mumbai as a model for sustainable textile waste management in urban India.