The textile and apparel industry, although a major contributor to global trade, is now becoming one of the most polluting industries worldwide. The rise of fast fashion, characterised by high consumption of low-cost, low-quality clothing, has aggravated the sector’s environmental footprint. Globally, around 92 million tonnes of textile waste end up in landfills annually, resulting in the leaching of harmful materials and leaking of valuable resources from the value chain. Alarmingly, only 12%–15% of this waste goes to recycling facilities, of which only 1% is recycled into new clothing. This highlights the need to focus on maximising resource use and reducing emissions.
Global South countries have become manufacturing hotspots for several major brands owing to the availability of raw materials and cheap skilled workforce in these countries. Although this boosts their economies, it contributes to emissions and wastes generated along the entire value chain in this sector. India has become one of the largest textile and apparel hubs in the world. The sector accounts for about 2% of the country’s GDP and 12% of the exports. The textile sector is also one of the largest employers in the nation, directly employing 45 million people and supporting an additional 100 million jobs in related businesses. However, the sector leads to the generation of 7,800 kilotonnes of waste every year, which is either dumped in landfills or incinerated.
There is a clear and pressing need for a more structured and comprehensive approach to waste management in India’s textile industry. The current practices, while partially effective, are insufficient to address the scale of the problem. Without significant improvements in collection systems, technological infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks, the industry will struggle to manage its waste sustainably. To this end, the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) presents a viable path forward. This report examines the key drivers and possible benefits of implementing a successful EPR system in the Indian textile sector. It examines India’s preparedness for EPR, leveraging significant insights from the best practices in the Global North and the preparedness of Global South countries (particularly, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Brazil, Philippines, and Indonesia) in implementing EPR guidelines in the textile and apparel sector. The report also gathers learnings from India’s experience with EPR implementation in other sectors such as plastics, which was introduced to curb the growing plastic waste menace.
