Union Minister Honours Navi Mumbai Civic Chief for Textile Recycling Model
Navi Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde was felicitated by Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh at the National Summit on 'Textiles for Global Markets' held in New Delhi. Dr. Shinde presented the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation's (NMMC) Textile Recycling Facility (TRF) as a pioneering national model for sustainable textile waste management.
During a special session on 'Municipal-State Collaboration Framework', Dr. Shinde highlighted the facility's success in promoting a circular economy. The initiative, established in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Textiles' Textile Committee, has actively engaged more than 50,000 local households in Navi Mumbai to recycle their discarded textiles.
The project has also created sustainable livelihood opportunities by training more than 300 local women to manufacture various products from discarded textiles. Operating through self-help groups, this initiative has significantly reduced the volume of textile waste sent to landfills.
Dr. Shinde emphasized that urban local bodies should be recognized as key stakeholders in the textile recycling value chain. He stated that municipalities are uniquely positioned to act as reliable collectors of textile waste due to their established waste collection infrastructure, citizen outreach networks, and existing 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) centres.
The TRF initiative has established a dedicated textile collection system, improved segregation and recovery capacity, and created a reliable supply chain for recyclable raw materials. Dr. Shinde noted that NMMC has already begun discussions with industry stakeholders to scale up the project.
Additionally, Dr. Shinde pointed to opportunities under the Maharashtra Textile Policy 2023-2028 to support textile recycling and sustainability projects. He urged for stronger public-private partnerships involving local bodies, the state government, recycling industries, technology providers, and self-help groups to bolster the circular economy.
The TRF pilot project operates under the guidance of Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde and is supervised by Deputy Commissioner Smita Kale.
