The business cards ofthe‘Got Old Clothes?’ campaign in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
As part of its ongoing #Invaluables initiative, BBC Media Action, in association with Saamuhika Shakti collective, has unveiled a unique business card that calls for responsible discarding of old clothes.
Created using discarded clothes collected from Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs), the cards have been fabricated by waste picker families at skill development centres run by Sambhav Foundation. They come with a WhatsApp number, which people who wish to dispose off their old clothes can contact.
The initiative is part ofBBC Media Action’s newly launched ‘Got Old Clothes?’ campaign that aims to urge people of Bengaluru to responsibly discard their old clothes.
The number +91 9741730854 managed by Hasiru Dala (which is also a Saamuhika Shakti partner) will connect users to a chatbot. The bot will guide the users to the nearest DWCCs where they can drop off used garments and linens. Hasiru Dala would arrange doorstep pickups for quantities exceeding 50 kilograms.
Role of waste pickers
According to a report by Enviu, India generates 7.2 million tonnes of textile waste annually, of which 3.94 million tonnes is post-consumer textile waste discarded by households. This poses severe environmental challenges, causing air, water and soil pollution and contributing to climate change through carbon emissions.
Textiles currently constitute the third biggest chunk of waste ending up in landfills. The initiative aims to highlight the vital role of the waste pickers in addressing the mounting textile waste.
“With this phase of the #Invaluables, we wanted to move from awareness to action and reframe them as professionals. There is an urgent need to recognise these professionals who are the backbone of our waste value chain and circular economy. The card represents a shift in how we see and value waste pickers,” said Soma Katiyar, Executive Creator Director, BBC Media Action, India.
Decentralised system for cloth recycling
Research by Hasiru Dala estimates that around 60% of discarded textiles received at DWCCs in Bengaluru have recycling potential if collected separately and uncontaminated. Estimates also suggest that approximately 22,500 people are engaged in waste picking, significantly contributing to the city’s waste management system.
Circular Apparel Innovation Factory – a Saamuhika Shakti partner – in tandem with Hasiru Dala has operationalised a decentralised system of daily collection of post-consumer textile waste from 16 wards in Bengaluru through DWCCs and the aggregation centre from where they moved to a Textile Recovery Facility and are then recycled.
Actor Danish Sait, along with representatives of organisations working with Saamuhika Shakti and BBC Media Action, joined the launch event.
While talking about his involvement in the campaign, Sait hoped that the campaign would inspire people to dispose of old garments responsibly and support the waste pickers in preventing waste from ending up in landfills.
Published – April 17, 2025 02:43 am IST
