The initiative, ReFiber, powered by OterRi, was unveiled at the World Trade Center Mumbai in Cuffe Parade. Described as Mumbai’s first mega post-consumer textile waste collection and circular recovery programme, the project seeks to address a growing challenge within the fashion industry: the disposal of unwanted clothing after its useful life has ended.
The programme has brought together several organisations, including Tisser, the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, World Trade Center Mumbai, and Lions Clubs International.
Speaking at the launch, OterRi Chief Operating Officer Manoj Wanwari said the initiative represented far more than a waste collection campaign and marked the beginning of a broader movement toward sustainability and circularity.
“Today is more than a launch of a campaign. It is the beginning of a collective movement towards a more responsible, sustainable and circular future for our city and for our country,” Wanwari said.
Highlighting India’s position as one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of textiles, Wanwari noted that enormous volumes of clothing reach the end of their lifecycle every year without entering any formal recovery or recycling system.
He said the issue extends beyond conventional waste management and requires a transition from the traditional “take, make and dispose” model to a circular economy where materials remain in use for as long as possible. According to him, governments, businesses, institutions and citizens must all contribute to making that transition successful.
At the heart of the initiative is the ReFiber mobile application, developed to simplify textile recycling for consumers. The platform allows users to schedule garment collections by entering the number and weight of clothes they wish to discard and selecting a participating laundry partner for pickup.
The concept originated from discussions with laundry operators within the OterRi ecosystem, who regularly encountered large quantities of unclaimed garments left behind by customers for extended periods. In response, the company introduced a “Recycle and Earn” feature that rewarded users with discounts for responsibly disposing of unwanted clothing.
That pilot programme eventually evolved into ReFiber, a dedicated platform focused entirely on post-consumer textile waste management and recovery.
Wanwari explained that garments collected through the initiative would be directed into an upcycling ecosystem, ensuring that old fabrics are transformed into new products rather than being sent to landfill sites. Products manufactured from recovered textiles were displayed during the launch event, demonstrating the potential for discarded garments to be converted into new consumer goods.
To further strengthen the circular model, ReFiber also introduced a dedicated marketplace within its application for upcycled products. Consumers who donate unwanted clothing can later purchase products created from reclaimed textiles, effectively extending the lifecycle of materials and closing the recycling loop.
“The future of textiles is not linear. The future of textiles is circular and that initiative begins today,” Wanwari said.
The company has already established 50 textile collection points across Mumbai. These collection centres are supported by a technology-driven backend system designed to streamline collection, recovery and recycling operations. Wanwari encouraged residents to download the application and contribute garments that might otherwise remain unused in wardrobes or eventually become waste.
As the fashion industry faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental impact, ReFiber is betting on convenience, incentives and visibility to encourage greater participation in textile recycling. The initiative represents a significant step toward building a circular economy in Mumbai, offering discarded garments a second life while reducing the environmental burden of textile waste.
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