Textile Solid Waste End-Market in the Circular Economy: The Mirpur Cluster in Bangladesh

Abstract

The preconsumer textile waste in the manufacturing country dominates the circularity in the textile and apparel industries. Bangladesh, the world's second largest exporter of apparel, produces a tremendous amount of preconsumer waste while manufacturing yarn, fabric, dyed fabric, and apparel in the whole textile production chain. The sheer number of workers, traders, local manufacturers, exporters, and other formal and informal channels makes this waste management sector important. In addition, the value addition of this waste in the local and export markets is increasingly significant. This study aims to determine and fill the knowledge gap on current circularity practices of nonhazardous textile solid waste in Bangladesh, drawing experience from an end-market for textile solid waste. One distinct textile waste cluster, Mirpur, was selected. Based on field surveys and interviews, it is found that approximately 76% of textile solid waste is reused, 11% is used for making recycled yarn, and another 11% is used as fuel for boilers and geotextile for road construction activities, and 2% is wasted as fabric dust. The cost of selling textile solid waste ranges from USD 0.1 to USD 0.95, depending on the type of waste. Overall, the Mirpur cluster processes around 600–800 tons of textile solid waste per month and employs around 800–1000 staff, of whom 95% are women. It shows an informal circular textile waste economy where nothing is wasted, and everything is utilized, creating new markets, products, businesses, and employment. However, such practices lack regulatory oversight and monitoring, which could be transformed into a formally functioning circular economy.