Bestseller pilot shows value of textile waste segregation

Bestseller has led a pilot project, called the Switch to Upstream Circularity Pilot, under the larger SWITCH to Circular Economy Value Chains (SWITCH2CE) initiative. It was done to show how better sorting of post-industrial textile waste can create new business opportunities for garment manufacturers in Bangladesh.

The pilot began in January 2023 with seven suppliers and focused on increasing traceable textile recycling while improving local systems for handling cotton waste. By November 2025, the number of participating factories had grown to 20.

During the project, the amount of properly sorted textile waste increased significantly, rising from just over 129 tonnes at the start to more than 16,000 tonnes.

As a result, better coordination developed among manufacturers, waste handlers, and recyclers. The number of waste handlers increased from two to 27, while recyclers grew from two to 26 during the project period.

This improved data helped recyclers process materials more efficiently and led nine manufacturers to create new technical roles focused on recycling and data management.

The project also included trials between Bestseller’s manufacturing partners and CYCLO to produce garments using recycled materials. As a result, eight manufacturers increased their use of recycled fibres instead of new raw materials. Overall, the project generated an estimated economic value of around €1.07 million based on market prices for different types of textile waste.