**Executive Summary**
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has established India’s first Municipal Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 to address the 7.8 million metric tonnes of textile waste generated annually. The initiative integrates decentralized collection, scientific sorting, and upcycling to reduce landfill waste and create sustainable livelihoods for women. Current goals include expanding the collection network to 250 bins and transitioning from the interim Belapur site to a permanent, higher-capacity facility in Koparkhairane.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Infrastructure and Collection**
* Established an interim TRF in a repurposed urban health centre in Belapur, with plans for a permanent facility in Koparkhairane.
* Deployed 140 branded textile bins across housing societies in eight municipal wards, with a phase-one target of 250 bins.
* Utilizes decentralized collection to ensure grassroots participation and accessibility for citizens.
**Scientific Processing and Technology**
* Employs KOSHA handheld scanners for real-time identification of fibers including cotton, polycotton, polyester, wool, and silk.
* Categorizes collected textiles into five distinct streams: reusable, recyclable, upcyclable, downcyclable, and reject.
* Utilizes a dedicated MIS platform (under development) for digital tracking, item journey mapping, and data-driven decision-making.
* Ensures hygiene through mandatory sanitization of materials before they are repurposed or upcycled.
**Economic and Social Impact**
* Provides structured 8-day Training-of-Trainers (ToT) modules for over 300 women, covering repair techniques and upcycling skills.
* Generates monthly earnings between ₹9,000 and ₹15,000 for more than 150 women working in sorting and stitching.
* Transforms waste into value-added products like bags, mats, and home décor, which are sold at public exhibitions to promote the circular economy.
**Performance and Innovation**
* Collected 30 MT of post-consumer waste to date, with 25.5 MT scientifically sorted at an average rate of 500 items per day.
* Conducted 75 workshops and onboarded 350+ society representatives to reach over 1.14 lakh families.
* Demonstrated resource recovery innovation by successfully piloting the manufacture of paper from rejected textile waste.
**Impact Analysis**
**Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC)**
**Impact**
Positions the municipality as a national pioneer in circular economy waste management and aligns local operations with Swachh Bharat 2.0 and Sustainable Development Goal 12.
**Action Required**
Must oversee the phased deployment of remaining collection bins and manage the transition to the permanent high-capacity facility at Koparkhairane.
**Local Women and Self-Help Groups (SHGs)**
**Impact**
Provides a transition from domestic roles to skilled employment as circular economy practitioners, offering financial independence and dignity of labour.
**Action Required**
Engage in specialized training modules and operate the upcycling centre to produce handcrafted goods from recovered fabrics.
**Residents and Housing Societies**
**Impact**
Benefits from structured systems for textile disposal, reducing household waste and contributing to urban sustainability.
**Action Required**
Must participate in textile segregation and utilize the dedicated collection bins deployed within their wards.
Key Entities Referenced
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0: The national flagship scheme providing the policy framework and mandate for circular economy initiatives and textile waste management in urban India.
Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC): The primary urban local body and implementing authority that established India’s first municipal Textile Recovery Facility.
Textile Recovery Facility (TRF): A pioneering municipal initiative in Belapur and Koparkhairane designed for scientific sorting, fiber identification, and upcycling of post-consumer textile waste.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs: The central ministry responsible for urban policy oversight and the national implementation of the Swachh Bharat and Smart Cities missions.
Smart Cities Mission: A referenced national urban renewal program with which the Navi Mumbai textile waste recovery model aligns for sustainable urban development.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
How Navi Mumbai is Turning Textile Waste into
Opportunity for People and the Planet
Posted On: 06 APR 2026 1:23PM by PIB Delhi
Navi Mumbai’s Textile Recovery Facility is transforming textile waste into opportunity through circular
systems and community participation. Under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, the initiative cuts landfill
waste, creates livelihoods, and offers a scalable model for urban India.
India generates nearly 7.8 million metric tonnes of post-consumer textile waste each year, reflecting the
scale and diversity of fabrics used across households, institutions and industries. From sarees and
uniforms to denim and household linen, textiles form a significant yet often overlooked component of the
urban waste stream. Cities are increasingly recognising the need to develop structured systems for textile
recovery, reuse and recycling. With growing attention on circular economy approaches and resource
efficiency, municipalities are beginning to explore innovative solutions that prevent textiles from ending
up in landfills
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban 2.0, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has
emerged as a national pioneer in this space. Recognising the opportunity to address textile waste through
systemic intervention, NMMC established India’s first Municipal Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) in
Belapur, Navi Mumbai. By integrating decentralised collection, scientific sorting, traceability and women-
led livelihood generation, the TRF repositions textile waste from an overlooked stream to a valuable
component of the urban circular economy.The Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) in Navi Mumbai has been conceptualised not as a standalone
collection centre, but as a comprehensive circular ecosystem that integrates collection, sorting, technology
and livelihood generation.
The model begins with decentralised collection, wherein branded textile bins have been strategically
deployed across housing societies in all 8 municipal wards. To date, 140 bins have been installed, with the
current phase targeting 250, ensuring accessibility and citizen participation at the grassroots level.
At the interim TRF, established in a repurposed urban health centre in Belapur, the focus is on Scientific
Sorting and Traceability. Collected textiles are weighed, tagged and systematically categorised into
reusable, recyclable, upcyclable, down cyclable and reject streams. The integration of the KOSHA
handheld scanner enables real-time fibre identification — including cotton, polycotton, polyester, wool
and silk — thereby strengthening scientific classification and optimising material recovery.
The Digital Tracking, with a dedicated MIS platform under development to facilitate item journey
mapping from donor to end-use product, reinforces transparency, accountability and data-driven decision-
making. After identification, the textiles are segregated based on fabric type, colour and condition to
streamline further processing. The sorted materials are then thoroughly sanitised to ensure hygiene and
safety before they are repurposed.
Suitable fabrics are transformed into bags, mats, accessories, apparel and home décor items, handcrafted
by skilled women from self-help groups. These upcycled products are later showcased and sold at
exhibitions, giving a renewed life and purpose to materials that were once considered waste.
More than 300 women have undergone structured 8-day Training-of-Trainers (ToT) modules covering
fibre identification, segregation protocols, repair techniques and upcycling skills. Over 150 women are
now actively earning between ₹9,000 and ₹15,000 per month through textile sorting, stitching and product
transformation.
This initiative has marked a transformative shift — enabling homemakers to emerge as skilled circular
economy practitioners. The facility operates as a dedicated upcycling centre where Self-Help Group
(SHG) members create bags, garments, pouches and home décor products from recovered textiles. Textile
recovery has evolved as a structured livelihood engine — generating green jobs, strengthening local
enterprise and reinforcing the dignity of labour within an urban sustainability framework.The TRF model has helped collect 30 MT of post-consumer textile waste, of which 25.5 MT have been
scientifically sorted. Over 41,000 items have been processed at an average of nearly 500 items per day.
The initiative has reached more than 1,14,575 families through outreach efforts, conducted over 75 IEC
workshops and onboarded 350+ society representatives, reflecting strong citizen participation and
institutional engagement. Over 400 upcycled product samples have been developed, including a successful
pilot batch of paper manufactured from rejected textile waste — demonstrating innovation within resource
recovery.
To promote awareness and expand market opportunities, the TRF has actively participated in over 30
exhibitions and public events. These platforms have played a key role in raising awareness about the
importance of recycling and reusing post-consumer textiles, while also providing women artisans with
opportunities to showcase and sell their products.
Implementation of the TRF in Navi Mumbai faced early challenges, including resistance to bin placement,
limited awareness of textile segregation and complexities in sorting mixed fibres. These were mitigated
through phased deployment, sustained citizen engagement, inter-agency coordination and the adoption of
fibre-scanning technology.
Building on the success of the interim TRF at Belapur, the next phase envisions a permanent, higher-
capacity Textile Recovery Facility in Koparkhairane near Nisarg Udyan.
The Textile Recovery Facility in Navi Mumbai demonstrates that waste streams traditionally considered
residual can be repositioned as drivers of economic and environmental value. It aligns with the principles
of Swachh Bharat 2.0, Smart Cities Mission and Sustainable Development Goal 12 — responsible
consumption and production.
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