2.7 tonnes of textiles recovered, 275 collection orders fulfilled and 257 citizens engaged, demonstrating a scalable model for textile circularity.

National: ReFiber, powered by OterRi, unveiled its flagship White Paper, ‘Mumbai Textile Circular Economy Demonstration Project’, at Bharat Tex 2026. Presented at the Eco Stitch Sustainability and Circularity Hub by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) and the Global Alliance for Textile Sustainability Council (GATS), the White Paper highlights one of India’s first technology-enabled city-scale textile circularity models.

Launched on World Environment Day 2026 at the World Trade Center Mumbai, the initiative was implemented by OterRi in partnership with Tisser, CMAI, UNIDO, World Trade Center Mumbai and Lions International. It brought together doorstep collection, digital traceability, women-led upcycling and responsible recycling into one integrated ecosystem.

The Mumbai demonstration recovered 2.7 tonnes of post-consumer textiles, generating 275 collection orders from 257 citizens through 15 laundry partners across 28 branches. The White Paper also identifies six major barriers to textile circularity in India and demonstrates how technology, organised collection and ecosystem collaboration can create environmental, social and economic value.

Shrikant Bhangdiya, Chairman, ReFiber Initiative, said, “India’s textile heritage is deeply woven into our culture, economy and identity. At ReFiber, we aim to transform post-consumer textile waste into a resource by building a transparent, traceable and scalable circular economy ecosystem. The Navi Mumbai pilot has demonstrated how technology, citizen participation and collaboration can create environmental, social and economic value, paving the way for a circular textile future for Maharashtra and India.”

Manoj Wanvari, COO, OTerRi & ReFiber, added, “The Mumbai Textile Circular Economy Demonstration Project is a significant milestone in our journey to build a scalable textile circularity model through technology, data-led insights and ecosystem collaboration. We plan to take this model forward by building city-wide, state-level and eventually national circular textile infrastructure powered by digital traceability, organised collection networks and inclusive stakeholder participation, a powerhouse solution and the need of the hour for India’s textile waste challenge.”

The White Paper was presented to senior policymakers, government representatives, industry leaders and international organisations, including officials from the Ministry of Textiles, UNIDO, CMAI, GATS, and representatives from the Governments of Nagaland and Karnataka.

Building on the Navi Mumbai demonstration, ReFiber plans to expand the model across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Maharashtra and eventually across India through technology-enabled, traceable and organised textile collection systems.