Circular Economy in Fashion & Textiles: India’s Untapped Potential


 India, being the second-largest textile exporter in the world, is currently standing at a crossroads. Our $165 billion fashion industry has exposed us to increasing environmental costs primarily due to our “take-make-dispose” model. However, this challenge also gives us an extraordinary opportunity. India has the potential to become a global fashion leader, transforming its waste into wealth and also preserving its rich textile heritage.

The wake-up call

India is known to have a staggering environmental footprint when it comes to the fashion industry. Textile production consumes billions of litres of water annually. Plus, our rivers suffer from pollution due to the release of toxic chemical waste as an end product of the dyeing and finishing processes. Also, you cannot ignore the millions of tons of textile waste that ends up in landfills. Here, the synthetic fibres take centuries to decompose. The rise of fast fashion has only accelerated consumption, which has compounded India’s environmental costs, including depleted resources, polluted waterways, and surging carbon emissions.

The circular economy provides a radically different scenario. It encourages designing out waste, regenerating natural systems, and retaining materials in use. In India’s context, this is not just an environmental necessity, but it’s an economic opportunity.

Read the full blog here: https://sunilbajaj.in/resources/blog/circular-economy-fashion-textiles-india/


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