This Independence Day, the idea of freedom is taking on an environmentally conscious dimension with the launch of the ‘Freedom from Unused Clothes’ campaign by Refiber, an initiative operated by Ottery. The campaign is encouraging citizens to look at unused clothes at home in a different way and turn them into valuable resources through reuse, recycling and further processing.
Beginning August 15, citizens will be able to book doorstep pickups for their old clothes through the Refiber app. The collected clothing will then be directed towards reuse, recycling and further processing.
The campaign aims to take the message of responsible textile disposal from Mumbai to communities across India. It builds on the experience gained through Refiber’s Mumbai Textile Circular Economy Demonstration Project, which has already established a foundation for systematic textile waste collection.
Through the Mumbai project, 2.7 tonnes of used clothing were collected. The initiative fulfilled a total of 275 collection orders from 257 citizens. These collections were carried out through a network of 15 laundry partners operating across 28 branches.
The experience in Mumbai has been presented as an example of how textile waste collection can be organised at scale with the support of technology and existing service networks.
According to Shrikant Bhangariya, Chairman, Refiber Initiative, the Mumbai experience has demonstrated that systematic collection of textile waste at scale is possible with the support of technology and existing service networks. He said the aim is to take this model to other cities across the country.
The ‘Freedom from Unused Clothes’ campaign therefore seeks to build on the work already undertaken in Mumbai. By offering doorstep pickup through the Refiber app, the initiative is creating a system through which citizens can send old and unused clothes for further processing rather than leaving them unused at home.
The campaign also highlights the importance of participation from different sections of society in building textile circularity. Manoj Vanwari, COO of Ottery and Refiber, said that collective participation from citizens, industry, government and sustainability organisations is essential to building textile circularity.
The initiative has been supported by TISER, CMAI, UNIDO and Lions International. Its launch marks an effort to take the learnings from the Mumbai Textile Circular Economy Demonstration Project to communities across India.
The Mumbai project provides the campaign with a foundation based on actual collection activity. The collection of 2.7 tonnes of used clothing, along with the fulfilment of 275 collection orders from 257 citizens, has demonstrated participation in the organised collection of textile waste.
The involvement of 15 laundry partners across 28 branches has also provided an existing service network through which the collection activity was carried out. Refiber is now looking to take the experience gained through this project beyond Mumbai.
The campaign will begin on August 15, allowing citizens to book doorstep pickups of old clothes through the Refiber app. The collected clothes will be directed towards reuse, recycling and further processing.
The initiative places unused clothing at the centre of its Independence Day message. Instead of allowing old clothes to remain unused at home, citizens are being encouraged to send them through a system designed for collection and further processing.
With the campaign, Refiber is seeking to carry the experience of its Mumbai textile circular economy project to other communities across the country. The initiative brings together technology, collection networks and participation from citizens, industry, government and sustainability organisations.
The message from Mumbai is therefore being taken beyond the city through the ‘Freedom from Unused Clothes’ campaign. Beginning August 15, the doorstep recycling pickup facility will give citizens a way to send their old clothes for reuse, recycling and further processing through Refiber.
The campaign represents the next step in Refiber’s effort to build on its Mumbai experience and extend the model to communities across India.
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