Re-START Alliance to strengthen textile recycling in India

Re-START Alliance, a textile recovery alliance, has launched Cluster Collective, its first flagship initiative aimed at increasing textile-to-textile recycling in India. The four-year programme is led by founding partner IDH and will initially focus on textile clusters in Ludhiana and Indore. There are plans to extend the initiative to two more clusters at a later stage.

Cluster Collective is designed to strengthen India’s textile recycling capacity by improving sorting and recycling technologies, developing shared systems for waste collection, and bringing together entrepreneurs and supply-chain stakeholders. The programme will also work on improving labour formalisation and aligning policies within the textile recycling sector.

According to the organisers, clustering key players around industrial hubs will allow better access to shared infrastructure, attract joint investments, and create wider market opportunities.

Re-START Alliance stated that the initiative will link important stakeholders within industrial centres, enabling clusters to benefit from shared infrastructure, investment opportunities, and the ability to scale operations.

Jagjeet Singh Kandal, Country Director at IDH, said that circular textiles offer strong economic potential for India, but the sector faces challenges due to a fragmented ecosystem. He explained that the Cluster Collective programme aims to organise textile waste management through a cluster-based approach that is socially inclusive and aligned with climate goals.

The initiative supports Re-START Alliance’s long-term goal of introducing one million tonnes of recycled fibres into textile supply chains. The alliance plans to launch additional projects through its founding partners over the coming year.