Alwaleed Philanthropies ‘Global’ partners with Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF) and ENVIU to scale Circular Textile Waste Management (CTWM) across India
The CTL program aspires to achieve a balance between improving the textile and apparel industry’s environmental footprint while delivering social impact
Alwaleed Philanthropies “Global” has partnered with Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF), and ENVIU, a leading venture-building studio, in pioneering a groundbreaking approach to textile waste management in India.
With an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste generated globally each year, the Circular Textile Waste Management (CTWM) program, supported by Alwaleed Philanthropies “Global,” aims to create sustainable solutions that address environmental challenges while empowering communities across the country.
Ms. Reem Mallawi
Last week, the team from Alwaleed Philanthropies "Global” visited CAIF and ENVIU in Bengaluru for an insightful experience to explore the impact of the "Closing the Loop on Textiles Waste" (CTL) program. The visit included a tour of a textile recovery facility, a center for aggregating, sorting, and selling textile waste in Bangalore recently established by CAIF. The team also engaged in discussions about the collaborative "skills-as-a-service" model aimed at creating circular job opportunities for waste pickers by enhancing their skills and establishing market linkages, providing a comprehensive view of the impactful work on the ground.
The field visit included a tour of a facility where uniforms and linen waste are collected in collaboration with a local waste entrepreneur. The team explored how value is added to the collected textile waste, gaining insights into the impact of the initiative. Additionally, interactions with waste workers provided a comprehensive view of the meaningful work taking place on the ground.
During the visit, Ms. Reem Mallawi, Executive Manager for Global Initiatives at Alwaleed Philanthropies, "Global", stated, "Transforming textile waste into opportunity goes beyond sustainability; it reclaims value, empowers lives, and fosters a circular economy where every thread matters. This project develops initiatives that contribute to sustainable waste management, creating a lasting impact through scalable business models while accelerating two projects within this framework. Under the focus area of supporting a healthier environment, we prioritize building environmentally conscious communities, enhancing resource management, and promoting clean energy."
Through its ecosystem and capacity-building approach, CAIF is currently replicating its model across the country by establishing a network of local textile waste recovery facilities led by waste pickers. They have successfully implemented this model in four cities and twelve towns in Kerala in collaboration with Alwaleed Philanthropies, "Global”. This expansion has been achieved in close partnership with various grassroots organizations. Together, they have diverted 270,000 kilograms of post-consumer textile waste, directly involving 281 waste workers in operations and providing training to 350 more, 96% of whom are women.
Venkat Kotamaraju, Partner & Director at Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF), stated, "For us, intent is paramount. We are conceptualizing and developing our program with waste picker communities in mind, who, despite their contributions to waste management, face intergenerational poverty. We are extremely grateful to Alwaleed Philanthropies for their support."
ENVIU'S systemic approach to building circular business ventures focuses on designing innovative models that address key challenges in the textile value chain. With the support of Alwaleed Philanthropies, "Global”, we have completed rigorous analysis and ideation sprints to develop scalable ventures that have the potential to reshape the textile industry and create job opportunities and income streams for waste pickers. Notably, our current ventures have transformed 990,000 kg of waste into innovative products.
Gigi Mathews, Regional Director of Partnerships at ENVIU, stated, "We designed the Closing-the-Loop program with a systemic approach to drive change across the textile supply chain. The support from Alwaleed Philanthropies, "Global", has been crucial in turning our vision into reality. Together, we are addressing environmental challenges and building an equitable future for all. We are creating dignified work for waste pickers, providing fair opportunities for them to thrive while tackling urgent issues for the planet."
The ongoing efforts to build the CTL program by CAIF and ENVIU, supported by Alwaleed Philanthropies, "Global” have the potential to serve as a model for others in the industry, demonstrating how environmental responsibility can align with social impact.
