The Ministry of Textiles has strongly rebutted a recent CNN International report on textile recycling in India, terming its portrayal as misleading, selective, and not representative of the sector’s realities, regulatory framework, and sustainability efforts.
The CNN report, titled “The world sends its fast fashion to this Indian city. Its residents pay a price”, published on 9 May 2026, focused on Panipat in Haryana. It claimed that the city has become a major destination for discarded fast-fashion clothing from the US, UK, Japan, and other Western countries. The report claimed environmental concerns such as pollution from untreated wastewater, dust exposure, occupational health risks for workers due to lack of protective gear, and human and environmental costs associated with processing global textile waste.
The report claimed workers in recycling and dyeing units faced health risks due to dust, chemicals and poor working conditions. The report also cited doctors and former workers who alleged long-term health impacts linked to exposure to textile dust and chemicals. The report further alleged that untreated wastewater from dyeing units was flowing into open drains and affecting nearby villages and water systems, including the Yamuna River.
In its detailed rebuttal on 14th May, the Ministry clarified that India possesses one of the world’s largest textile recovery and recycling networks, with long-established value chains for reuse, repair, recycling, and repurposing. Unlike many countries where textile waste is largely landfilled, a substantial proportion in India is recovered and channelised into secondary uses.
According to the Ministry of Textiles’ “Mapping of Textile Waste Value Chain in India” study (2026), the country generates approximately 7,073 kilo tonnes of textile waste annually. Nearly 97% of pre-consumer waste is recycled, demonstrating strong material circularity in domestic manufacturing. Of the approximately 7.8 million tonnes of textile waste managed annually, over 90% comes from domestic sources, while imported post-consumer waste accounts for only about 7%. Imports, mainly second-hand clothing and mutilated rags, are strictly regulated under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.
The Ministry emphasised that the textile waste ecosystem generates an estimated economic value of around ₹22,000 crore annually, as noted in the FICCI report “Unlocking Value from India’s Textile Waste.” It also highlighted India’s traditional reuse and repair culture, which results in lower per capita textile consumption and waste generation compared to developed nations.
Addressing environmental claims, the rebuttal cited a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study by IIT Delhi, based on field data from the Panipat cluster and published in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The study found that textile recycling mitigates 30–40% of key impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions, acid rain potential, and fossil fuel depletion, compared to virgin fibre production.
The Ministry acknowledged certain challenges, including post-consumer waste collection, management of blended synthetics, compliance in smaller informal units, and worker safety. However, it stressed that these exist within an evolving sector moving towards greater formalisation. Textile units operate under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and labour codes such as the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Enforcement actions by the National Green Tribunal and State Pollution Control Boards demonstrate active regulation.
The Textile Ministry said, “While isolated instances of non-compliance may arise in any industrial ecosystem, broad characterisation of India’s textile sector as environmentally negligent or structurally exploitative is misleading, selective, and not representative of the ongoing regulatory strengthening, technology adoption and sustainability-focused interventions being undertaken across the country.”
The rebuttal also pointed to positive developments, including the adoption of advanced technologies like zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) systems (notably in Tiruppur), chemical recycling for true textile-to-textile circularity, dust extraction, and renewable energy integration. It highlighted specialised efforts such as the Atal Centre of Textile Recycling and Sustainability (ACTRS) at Panipat, which has pioneered the recycling of high-performance aramid fibres used in bulletproof vests and protective gear under the National Technical Textiles Mission.
The Ministry concluded that while media reports may spotlight specific issues, they do not reflect the overall scale, circularity, and ongoing transition of India’s textile recycling sector towards improved environmental performance and sustainability, aligned with national goals of resource efficiency and circular economy.
