In the presence of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the DMRC Ladies Welfare Organisation (DLWO) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi government for the collection and recycling of used clothes.
The DMRC, DLWO signed the agreement with the Delhi government’s State Urban Livelihood Mission (SULM) and textile recycling organisations Clothes Box Foundation and Respun. Under this partnership, the Old Clothes Donation Project is being launched in Delhi.
The initiative aims to prevent old and used clothes from ending up in landfills, reduce textile waste, and promote a circular economy through recycling and upcycling, said an official statement. Chief Minister Gupta said the Delhi government is committed to promoting environmental conservation, effective waste management and women's empowerment.
She said the initiative would not only help reduce textile waste but also encourage citizens to become active partners in building a cleaner and more sustainable Delhi. DMRC Managing Director Vikas Kumar and representatives of the partner organisations were also present.
As part of the project, collection centres named ‘Arpan’ will be set up at 10 Delhi Metro stations to collect unused clothes from households. Kiosks will also be installed for the sale of recycled and upcycled products. In the first phase, Arpan centres will be launched over the next few days at Shahdara, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Malviya Nagar, Hauz Khas, Dwarka, Mohan Estate, Lajpat Nagar, Mayur Vihar Phase-1, Punjabi Bagh West and Shalimar Bagh Metro stations.
Citizens will be able to donate their old clothes at these centres from 7 am to 7 pm. Chief Minister Gupta said the collected clothes would be sorted into different categories. The first category will include garments that can be upcycled by Self-Help Groups into bags, decorative items and other useful products.
The second category will consist of clothes that are completely unusable and will be recycled into new products and raw materials. In addition, clothes used for religious rituals and other sacred materials will also be respectfully reused and recycled to ensure that people's sentiments are honoured, said the statement.
She said the government is also developing separate solutions for damaged idols, plastic waste and other forms of waste. She expressed confidence that if scientific and systematic solutions are developed for every type of waste, Delhi can be freed from many of these complex challenges.
She added that while 10 Arpan Kendras are being established initially, the initiative will eventually be expanded across all parts of Delhi. The Chief Minister said the project is an innovative step towards reducing textile pollution, promoting sustainable lifestyles and creating new employment opportunities for women.
She said the Delhi Government aims to build systems where environmental protection and economic development move forward together. The collection centres will be operated by women associated with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the Delhi Government’s State Urban Livelihood Mission (SULM).
They will receive specialised training in textile upcycling and recycling to help them become financially self-reliant, said the statement. A portion of the donated clothes will also be made available to them for upcycling. Clothes Box Foundation and Respun will manage the entire process of segregation, recycling and upcycling of the collected clothes. The centres will also sell products made through recycling and upcycling, thereby promoting the circular economy model.