ReFiber and TRF Partner to Strengthen India’s Circular Textile Economy
Technology-enabled post-consumer textile collection company ReFiber, powered by OterRi, has entered into a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Textile Recovery Facility (TRF), Belapur, Navi Mumbai, to advance digital collection and recovery systems for used clothing.
The LoI was signed by Manoj Wanvari, COO, ReFiber, in the presence of Giriraj Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister of Textiles, and Vrunda Manohar Desai, Textile Commissioner. The partnership aims to strengthen the first mile of textile circularity by creating more organised pathways for used textiles to move towards reuse, repurposing, upcycling and recycling.
The signing took place at TRF Belapur alongside the inauguration of the Mati thrift store, an initiative under Punarsutra – Crafting Circular Change. The project is being implemented by the Textiles Committee in collaboration with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, SBI Foundation, IDH India and Tisser Artisan Trust.
The wider initiative focuses on post-consumer textile management across the NMMC area and aims to reach a population of approximately 16 lakh people while generating livelihood opportunities and supporting the conversion of recovered textiles into sustainable textile products.
For ReFiber, the partnership builds on its technology-led collection initiative launched on 5 June 2026, World Environment Day. The platform aims to make the disposal and collection of used clothing more accessible, organised and traceable.
Through scheduled doorstep collection, digital verification and tracking, ReFiber is creating greater visibility across the collection process. Recovered textiles can then be directed towards suitable reuse, upcycling and recycling channels. The company has also introduced an Upcycle Marketplace, providing opportunities for recovered textiles to be converted into new upcycled products.
Giriraj Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister for Textiles, welcomed the collaboration, describing the digital collection initiative as an important step towards strengthening India’s Circular Textile Economy and bringing greater organisation and technology into post-consumer textile recovery.
Vrunda Manohar Desai, Textile Commissioner, Maharashtra Government, highlighted the importance of developing stronger collection and recovery systems to support India’s transition towards a circular textile economy. She noted that technology-led collection can make textile recovery more organised, accessible and traceable.
Shrikant Bhangdiya, Chairman, ReFiber, said the company aims to strengthen the journey of garments after disposal by making technology-led collection more accessible and expanding the model to more cities and communities across India.
The event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Textiles, Textiles Committee, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and other stakeholders involved in textile circularity. Dr Tapan Kumar Rout, Director, Textiles Committee, also attended the event, highlighting the role of institutional collaboration in developing stronger textile recovery systems.
The presence of Dr Kailas Shinde, IAS, Municipal Commissioner, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, further highlighted the importance of municipal participation in organised post-consumer textile collection and recovery. Dr Megha Phansalkar, Founder, Tisser Artisan Trust, was also recognised for her continued support of ReFiber’s textile collection and circularity initiatives.
With the Mati thrift store creating a reuse-focused channel and ReFiber addressing the collection stage that precedes recovery, the partnership aims to connect different parts of the textile circularity ecosystem.
Through the LoI, ReFiber plans to strengthen collaborations and develop a scalable and accountable post-consumer textile collection network across India, enabling more discarded textiles to enter productive reuse, upcycling and recycling pathways.
