The statistic is stark, yet largely invisible to the global fashion industry: India generates approximately 7.8 million tonnes of textile waste annually. A large part of it is used clothing from the West under the guise of "recycling," but much of it is simply trash that ends up in our landfills.
While India acts as a global sorting hub for the world's discarded clothing, it is simultaneously drowning in its own domestic refuse. In Mumbai’s Deonar Dumping Ground, this toxicity has slashed life expectancy to just 39 years and left children with stunted growth.
India's 7.8 Million Tonnes Textile Waste Crisis:
According to 2024-2025 data from the IMARC Group and Fashion Revolution India, the country’s textile waste footprint has ballooned to 7.8 million tonnes per year. This figure encompasses two distinct streams: pre-consumer waste (factory scraps) and post-consumer waste (discarded garments).
While India has a historic reputation for mechanical recycling in hubs like Panipat, the system is collapsing under the weight of post-consumer waste. Industry estimates suggest that between 50% and over 80% of India's domestic post-consumer textiles now bypass recycling streams entirely.
Instead of being repurposed, these garments are funneled into the country's overflowing municipal landfills. The primary driver is the rise of "poly-blends" fabrics mixing cotton with polyester. Because these materials cannot be easily separated or dissolved, they possess zero resale value for recyclers. With no economic incentive to save them, they are dumped.
The Landfill Mechanism:
Deonar in Mumbai, India's oldest (est. 1927) and one of Asia’s largest landfills, serves as the grim case study for this process.
Receiving between 600 to 700 metric tonnes of fresh waste daily, the site hosts mountains of waste standing 40 to 60 meters high. Here, the textile waste undergoes two dangerous processes:
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Methane Generation: Organic fibers like wool and cotton, buried under tons of synthetic trash, decompose anaerobically (without oxygen). A 2024 report submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) flagged Deonar as a "Methane Hotspot," recording emissions of 6,202 kg of methane per hour. This gas fuels spontaneous, subterranean fires that release toxic smoke containing particulate matter (PM2.5) and carcinogens into the air.
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Leachate Formation: As rainwater filters through the rotting layers of polyester and dyed fabrics, it creates leachate. This toxic liquid absorbs heavy metals, bleaches, and microplastics from the textiles, seeping into the soil and contaminating the local groundwater table. Residents describe the water from local borewells as "pale yellow" and saline, unfit for human use yet often unavoidable.
The Human Cost:
Who are the people? The industry relies on the Informal Sector (often called Safai Sathis or Chindi-walas or waste pickers).
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Working Conditions: They work without gloves or masks in hazardous environments, often sitting atop piles of unstable trash. They are exposed to chemical dyes, bleach, and methane gas.
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Socio-Economic Status: Most are migrant workers or from marginalized communities (Dalit/Bahujan/religious minorities). They earn very low wages (often roughly ₹6,000–₹8,000/month) for doing the essential work of keeping the city from drowning in waste.
Data from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and the NGO Apnalaya’s "Life on the Margin" report reveals a chilling statistic: the average life expectancy in the M-East Ward is approximately 39 years.
In a country where the national average approaches 70, the toxic environment of this specific waste corridor has effectively slashed the lifespan of its residents by nearly 50%. The causal factors are direct and respiratory:
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MDR-TB Capital: The ward has one of the highest concentrations of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the world. The constant inhalation of smoke from burning synthetic textiles weakens lung immunity, making the population hyper-susceptible to infection.
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Stunted Growth: The toxicity permeates the next generation. Apnalaya’s situational analysis indicates that 57% of children in these areas are stunted, suffering from chronic malnutrition exacerbated by living in a chemically hazardous zone.
The industry calls it 'disposable fashion,' but in a neighborhood where 57% of children stop growing, we must ask: Who is really being discarded?
This is Part I of a series on India’s textile waste ecosystem. Part II will examine the "Shadow Atelier" of Dharavi, where a parallel economy of sorters and recyclers fights to keep this waste out of the landfill.