The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is taking a significant step towards addressing the city’s growing textile waste by establishing Pune’s first dedicated textile waste processing unit. This initiative comes in response to the challenge of managing the 100 to 125 tonnes of textile waste generated daily in the city, which cannot be processed through conventional solid waste management systems.
Currently, Pune generates approximately 1200 to 1300 tonnes of dry waste and 900 to 1000 tonnes of wet waste daily. Textile waste, which includes items such as mattresses, cushions, clothes, glass fibres, leather bags, and shoes, makes up a significant portion of this dry waste. The textile waste is difficult to process with regular dry waste due to its size and structure, which can cause blockages in waste processing machinery.
The PMC is now working towards floating a tender for the construction of the textile waste processing unit, with the location to be determined based on approvals from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The estimated cost of the project is between ₹3 to ₹4 crore, though this could change depending on the final specifications for land and machinery.
The goal is to process the textile waste in an environmentally friendly manner, thus reducing its harmful impact on the environment. The PMC’s proactive approach in creating this facility shows its commitment to waste management and sustainability, especially in light of the growing waste generated by urban areas.
