From Post-Consumer Textile Waste to - The Good Felt.

Do you know what happens to the post-consumer textile waste collected each year? More than 3 million tons of textile waste from households end up in landfills. Post-consumer waste accounts for 55% of the waste generated in India and is reused through donations, resale, and repurposing or downcycled into wipes, stuffing, rugs, etc. A large volume of waste – produced, managed, and disposed of, goes undocumented. 

Due to the lack of formal collection channels and proper disposal options, it goes to landfills or is turned into low-quality products.  

This alarming statistic has pushed us to take an active approach towards solving this issue. 

Committed to building disruptive ventures at Enviu, one such coming venture, The Good Felt, is dedicated to addressing this problem by focusing specifically on the post-consumer textile waste that has no utility or value and providing it with a new lease on life. The Good Felt is working on reducing the burden on landfills significantly and increasing the longevity of textiles and circularity. 

The post-consumer value chain faces unique challenges, with contamination at the first-mile waste collection, informal channels and lack of segregation impeding recycling efforts. Another challenge is the demand for cotton material over polyester and blends that are rejected by recyclers.  

Other collection channels are NGOs, Women’s Self-Help Groups, feri-walas and small businesses which struggle to scale their operations due to internal issues and competition from factory-made products. Apart from the reuse and repurpose, innovations often focus on downcycling and making low-quality products leading to resource inefficiency. 

Here, is where The Good Felt comes in. Understanding the gap and bracing for the opportunity, we are trying to develop quality products while collaborating with brands and partners. Our felt is made from post-consumer textile waste that is rejected by the recyclers due to lack or no demand. We ensure the felt meets the requirement of the premium market, and fit the use case and requirements with a unique texture and durability.  

The project focuses on both environmental and social concerns. We care about everyone who is part of our felt-making process, from the waste pickers who collect the discarded clothes, to the workers who sort and process them and fabricators who assemble the felt product. 

We are collaborating closely with waste processors for this pilot project. Our goal is to make a positive impact on society and promote sustainable practices. 

Are you a news reporter passionate about covering disruptive solutions for textile waste? We invite you to join us in exploring our innovative program and diving deeper into the story. Let's shed light on the circularity of textile value chains together! Get in touch Communications Officer, Alisha Jain at alisha@enviu.org today.