As India marked the ‘80 Years of Independence’, ReFiber, powered by OterRi, launched its nationwide ‛Freedom from Unused Garments’ post-consumer textile collection drive at an online stakeholder meet, with Vrunda Desai, textile commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, as the chief guest. The initiative calls for greater awareness around conscious consumption, textile waste and circularity.
Desai highlighted a different dimension of freedom, saying, “Freedom from wasteful consumption, resource inefficiency and unsustainable habits.” She added, “India’s textile sector is one of the largest in the world and reflects the prime minister’s vision of 5F – farm to fiber, fiber to factory, factory to fashion and fashion to foreign markets.”
Highlighting the scale of textile waste, Desai said, “India generates around 70 lakh tons of textile waste annually with nearly 58% arising after consumer use.” She added, “Every discarded garment represents valuable resources like the fiber, water, energy, chemicals, the transportation and the human effort in it.”
Desai also highlighted the role of public figures in encouraging reuse, referring to Alia Bhatt’s wedding saree, which she re-fashioned and wore again for the National Film Awards in 2024. She said, “These are the type of role models we look forward to, who recycle and upcycle their wardrobes and give a new life to the clothes they wear.”
Appreciating ReFiber’s approach, Desai said, “I really appreciate the initiative of ReFiber, which provides citizens a simple digital platform to schedule doorstep collection of unused garments. You don’t have to go anywhere. You just need to press a button and schedule the pickup of your unused garments.”
As part of its wider circularity vision, ReFiber has appealed to the Ministry of Textiles to help connect it with upcyclers across India. The ReFiber Upcycler Marketplace, an exclusive marketplace for recycled and upcycled products, aims to provide upcyclers a platform to showcase their work and create new value from recovered textiles.
Manoj Wanvari, COO, OterRi & ReFiber, said, “ReFiber is not just about collection of clothes. Collection is the first step. We are creating a circular ecosystem where these unused clothes can find a new purpose.” Calling for stronger infrastructure for circularity, Wanvari said, “We would request you to study the ReTuna model in Sweden. ReTuna is the world’s first recycling mall where everything sold is recycled or reused or has been organically or sustainably produced.” He added that similar infrastructure, with government support, could help strengthen India’s circular economy.
