Alwaleed Philanthropies, Enviu, And CAIF Partners To Scale Circular Textile Waste Management Initiatives Across India

The "Closing the Textile Waste Loop (CTL)" program aims to create sustainable solutions in India that address environmental challenges while empowering communities across the country.

Bengaluru, Saturday 26th October 2024 – Alwaleed Philanthropies ‘Global’ has partnered with Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF), an Intellecap initiative, and Enviu, a leading venture-building studio, to scale Circular Textile Waste Management (CTWM) across India. This pioneering collaboration aims to address the textile industry’s environmental challenges while delivering significant social impact by empowering waste picker communities.

The announcement follows a visit by the Alwaleed Philanthropies team to Bengaluru last week, where they experienced firsthand the impact of the "Closing the Loop" (CTL) program. The program brings together a top-down and bottom-up approach: Enviu leads the development of innovative business models that transform textile waste into commercially viable products, while CAIF focuses on ecosystem and capacity building at the grassroots level, working closely with waste pickers to establish hyper-local textile recovery facilities.

Transforming textile waste into opportunity goes beyond sustainability; it reclaims value, empowers lives, and fosters a circular economy where every thread matters. This project builds ventures that participate in the Circular Textile Waste Management (CTWM) initiative, creating lasting impact through scalable business models while accelerating two ventures within this framework. Falling under the pillar of Supporting a Healthier Environment, we concentrate on creating environmentally conscious communities, enhancing resource management, and promoting clean energy. Together, we can weave a future that honors both our planet and its people, fostering a cleaner and greener world for everyone. Ms. Reem Mallawi, Executive Manager for Global Initiatives at Alwaleed Philanthropies, stated,
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Key highlights of the partnership include:

  • Diverting textile waste: The CTWM program has successfully diverted 270,000 kilograms of post-consumer textile waste.
  • Empowering waste pickers: The initiative has directly involved 281 waste workers in operations and provided training to 350 more, 96% of whom are women.
  • Creating innovative ventures: Enviu's ventures, such as The Good Felt and ReTex, are transforming textile waste into valuable products extending the life cycle of textiles that would otherwise end up in landfills.
  • Scaling impact: The partnership aims to replicate the CTWM model across India, creating sustainable jobs and income streams for communities.

We designed the Closing-the-Loop program with a systemic approach to drive change across the textile supply chain. Alwaleed Philanthropies' support has been instrumental in turning our vision into reality. Together, we are addressing the environmental challenges and building an equitable future for people. We are creating dignified work for waste pickers, offering fair opportunities to thrive while solving urgent problems for the planet,’ says Gigi Mathews, Regional Director of Partnerships at Enviu.

To learn more about Enviu’s role in driving circular textile waste solutions, please contact our Communication Lead, Alisha Jain, at alisha@enviu.org to schedule an interview.

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