A new report published by Pakistan’s National Textile University (NTU) and Estonia’s Reverse Resources investigates Pakistan’s textile waste recycling industry, asking whether the country has the potential to utilise textile waste to become a hub for circularity in the future.

The south Asian country ranks among the top textile producers globally: the sector contributes 8.5% of the GDP. With a strong linkage to key markets such as Europe, US and the Middle East, combined with a robust manufacturing base, Pakistan is an attractive and strategic sourcing destination for the textile & apparel industry.

As such, Pakistan generates around 1.16 million tons of textile waste annually, says Dr Yasir Nawab, professor at the NTU and vice chancellor at the University of Kamalia. Speaking with WTiN, he notes that this waste constitutes 887 kilotons of post-industrial textile waste and 270 kilotons of local post-consumer waste.

Additionally, 809 kilotons of used textiles are imported yearly – a third of which is sorted, packed and re-exported to Africa as second-hand garments, while the rest is sent to