Artistic Milliners Backs Textile Recycling Project in Pakistan
- Pakistan received $46 million of used clothing from the European Union in 2021, but has the potential to recycle these textiles.
Pakistan is a dumping ground for post-consumer textile waste. In 2021, the European Union exported $46 million of used clothing to the country, according to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
But, Pakistan has "huge potential" to recycle these used textiles.
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Textile waste management firm Reverse Resources and Pakistan's National Textile University have joined forces on an initiative to transform the country's textile-to-textile recycling landscape.
The collaborative effort wants to establish a structured framework for the supply and demand of textile waste to ensure transparency and enable traceability, though challenges persist.
For instance, leakages in the informal waste handling sector—a "critical link" between textile waste supply and recycling destinations—pose a "significant obstacle" to supply chain compliance.
"Despite the growth of Pakistan's textile recycling industry, significant untapped market potential remains," the organizations said in a statement. "By scaling recycling initiatives, we can unlock economic and environmental benefits."
Plus, while there is demand for feedstock, high-quality textile waste still ends up in low-value applications, giving brands little visibility into where their discarded textiles will go.
As such, Reverse Resources is implementing a custom waste mapping program for brands to enhance that visibility. It will offer visual data to "kickstart" a circular supply chain by helping to identify textile waste volume, location, composition and recycling potential.
Reverse Resources and the National Textile University have also partnered with several key industry players, including Reformation , Primark and C&A as well as textile manufacturers like Artistic Milliners and Interloop. The Global Fashion Agenda's Circular Fashion Partnership and Fashion For Good also support the project.
"At Interloop, we leverage waste—both industrial and agricultural—as a valuable resource, effectively reducing our environmental impact," said Faryal Sadiq, Interloop's chief marketing officer. By partnering with allies and industry experts like Reverse Resources, we're eager to establish waste traceability, map waste handlers, and track each recycling phase, shaping a more resilient future together."
The effort is made possible through funding from the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) program, established and funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and implemented in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
"We're excited to join forces with Reverse Resources on the SMEP project. Their focus on increasing circularity in the textile and fashion industry perfectly aligns with our own goals and our vertically integrated operations, including recycling capabilities, position us to tackle key challenges like textile waste data management and digital traceability," said Omer Ahmed, managing director at Artistic Milliners. "As we expand our recycling capacity , connecting with brands that utilize recycled materials is crucial. Reverse Resource's platform and services are shaking up the industry for the better, helping organizations like ours overcome market disconnect and engage with stakeholders."
