India’s garment capital is drowning in textile waste, with Bengaluru producing nearly 5,000 tonnes annually, much of it unmanaged and unsafe.
A study by the Institute for Social & Economic Change revealed that while export unit waste is systematically recycled, cloth scraps from tailoring shops and local units are casually dumped into bins or burned. Nearly 40% of Bengaluru’s textile waste is shipped to Tirupur and Panipat for recycling, but a large chunk ends up in landfills or fuels unsafe informal recycling.
Researchers highlighted the lack of a centralised waste database, fragmented collection and unsafe working conditions for women sorters in the informal sector. They recommended integrating textile waste into the municipal collection system, investing in recycling facilities and regulating the sector to handle the mounting load. Without intervention, Bengaluru’s textile boom risks turning into an environmental bust.