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IndiaTex

The project ‘Accelerating the Transition of the Indian Textile Sector towards Circularity’ (InTex India) is a four-year UNEP project funded by Denmark and implemented in collaboration with the Government of India’s Ministry of Textiles. The InTex India project will work with Indian brands as well as with textiles manufacturers Surat and Karur (along with adjoining clusters including Salem, Dindigul, Perundurai) to transition to circular practices, including through  Life Cycle approaches and Eco-Innovation.


The textile sector is crucial for India’s economy and workforce. In an interconnected global value chain, integrating circular practices will improve the sector’s competitiveness and market access. India’s textile clusters are a particularly effective method to speed India’s transition to circularity.

Project duration: From December 2023 to December 2027 

The project will work with the industry at brand level and in two textile clusters in India:

  • Support SMEs in clusters to calculate their Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)
  • Support SME brands to implement and communicate about circular business models

With the India Government, the project will:

  • Build capacity and support the development and implementation of circular textile policies.
  • Create convening opportunities for government, companies and organisations to coordinate and align on circular textiles ambition at national, regional and global level.

Who is the project targeting?

  • Businesses, particularly SMEs, which must integrate life cycle approaches into their business practices and implement circular business models if they are to not only stay ahead of increasing environmental regulations but improve their competitiveness and market access.
  • The Indian government that has set high ambitions for the competitiveness of its textile sector and its sustainability performance; it is also looking to match this with a suite of policies and instruments that not only encourage a shift towards competitive circularity while taking into account the needs of SMEs.

 

Access here the brochure of the project.

 

Eco-Innovation

The UNEP Eco-innovation approach aims at the development and application of a business model, shaped by a new business strategy, which incorporates sustainability throughout all business operations based on life cycle thinking and in cooperation with partners across the value chain. It entails a coordinated set of modifications or novel solutions to products (goods/services), processes, market approach and organizational structure which leads to a company’s enhanced performance and competitiveness.

Borchure

You can also find more information on how eco-innovation can make SMEs more sustainable on the document available at this page. 

 

Eco-Innovation Manual Textiles Supplement 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This supplement provides textile sector-specific guidance for service providers helping apparel companies implement eco-innovation, using UNEP's Eco-innovation Manual. While targeting service providers, apparel company representatives may also find it useful. The focus is on business-to-consumer (B2C) aspects of the apparel industry, excluding industrial, technical, and household textiles. The content is tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially in developing countries.

EU

The European Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) is an assessment method used to measure the environmental performance of a good or service throughout its life cycle (from extraction of raw materials, through production and use, to final waste management). Being a standardized methodology, PEF allows for robust product comparisons. SMEs can use PEF to compare their product’s environmental footprint to similar products or to the European benchmark and gain competitive advantage and credibility. SMEs can use PEF also to inform consumers and customers about the environmental performance of their products.

 

Circularity provides a model to transform the current economic model towards a sustainable future. As outlined in the UNEP circularity platform, circularity’s underlying objective is that materials should be kept at their highest possible value as they move and are retained within the value chain. This reduces the use of natural resources and environmental impacts per unit of economic activity or output, while continuing to enable improvements in human well-being. Circularity is built on the overall guiding principle of ‘’Reduce by design’’, and value retention loops, as shown in the UNEP circularity approach below:

Circularity

Center for Responsible Business - India 

The Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), established in 2011, serves as a think tank focused on promoting awareness and understanding of social, environmental, and economic sustainability issues. Its goal is to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by conducting action-oriented and policy research, building capacity, and fostering expertise. CRB facilitates collaboration among various stakeholders, including government agencies, academic institutions, civil society organizations, industry associations, and businesses, to address complex sustainability challenges in India and beyond. Through these partnerships, the organization aims to contribute to measurable positive outcomes for people, the environment, communities, and livelihoods.

For more information about the project, please contact:

Food Production
Did you know?
Each year one third of global food production is lost or wasted.

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