Arvind, PurFi partners to combat textile waste problem

Arvind Ltd., India’s largest textile to technology conglomerate, and PurFi Global LLC, a sustainable technology firm that specializes in reviving textile waste into goods of virgin quality, announced a partnership to reduce the quantity of textile waste that ends up in landfills.

The popularity of “fast fashion” has dramatically increased as a result of significant changes in the fashion business. Each year, the textile sector produces 284 billion pounds of post-consumer trash in addition to more than 64 billion pounds of post-industrial textile waste. However, just 12% of textiles worldwide are recycled, and only 1% are upcycled. PurFi’s patented technology has emerged as a tested and reliable solution as the fashion industry has embraced calls for more circular and sustainable supply chains. PurFi’s technology is protected by more than 30 patents and more than 400 registered trade secrets that — have emerged as a proven and complete solution for rejuvenating textiles back into virgin-like fibers.

Punit Lalbhai, executive director, Arvind Ltd, said that their strategic growth is supported in large part by innovation and sustainability. They have always focused their approach on new ideas and sustainable projects. They have a great working connection and a shared set of values with PurFi Global, and this collaboration will not only offer a fresh approach to the problem of textile waste but also reinforce their guiding principle of being Fundamentally Right. They are eager to use these technologies to drive the next wave of growth in the textile industry while having a remarkably less impact on the environment.

Ashish Kumar, president and CEO of Arvind, said that partnering with PurFi will help Arvind to build on their decades-long commitment to expanding sustainable practices into every element of its business. PurFi has been creating and funding cutting-edge technology to revive industrial textile waste for more than 25 years. PurFi’s technique can renew waste materials into virgin-like fibers 17 times, in contrast to the conventional “one-and-done” recycling approach, and it can be carried out on a large scale. Together, they think we can usher in a new era of sustainable practices in the textile and fashion industries and turn textile production into a real closed-loop system.

The first of a planned series of fiber rejuvenation facilities will be situated by one of Arvind’s manufacturing facilities in India thanks to a partnership between PurFi and Arvind. This factory will convert textile waste, including white cotton, colored cotton, denim, and man-made materials, into virgin-like fibers for reuse from two lines, each with a capacity of 5,500 tons annually, with plans for expansion over the following five years. These two lines are expected to cost between 200 and 250 crores. Plans for expansion include adding a production line that uses one of PurFi’s unique technologies to remove elastomers from fabrics. Elastomers are currently found in 85% of the world’s clothes, making recycling and rejuvenation highly challenging.

The technique developed by PurFi is the first commercially feasible solution that has been demonstrated to safely remove elastomers without the use of hazardous chemicals, protect the host fiber, and have the ability to recycle the removed elastomers. Construction on the joint venture is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022, and full production is anticipated to start in the same quarter of 2023.

Joy Nunn, the founder and CEO of PurFi Global, said that they are excited to work with Arvind as they share their values and have a strong history of innovation, outstanding textile manufacturing capabilities, and commitment to sustainability. Arvind quickly recognized the benefits and potential of their technique, and the revitalized fabric would boost production efficiency. Additionally, PurFi rejuvenated fibers-specific tracers they offer to give customers a direct line of sight to the origin of the fibers they source. Manufacturers like Arvind, who are dedicated to openness in their sustainability operations and are aware that revitalized materials are now a “must have” in their product offers, regard this genuine product identity highly. As they strive to innovate for a more sustainable globe and contribute to the circular economy, they look forward to working with Arvind.