German development agency GIZ and Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) have announced their plans to tackle the issue of textile waste in Cambodia.
The collaborative project seeks to reorganise the clothing waste industry, cut down on the quantity of textiles that are burned or dumped in landfills, and investigate circular economic potential in the fashion industry.
The creation of a Circular Fashion Project (CFP) in Cambodia is the result of the cooperation between GIZ and GFA. The CFP will concentrate on investigating circular business models in the fashion industry and building a stronger recycling infrastructure. Creating environmentally friendly waste management techniques that are compatible with the garment production value chain is the ultimate objective.
An initial pilot programme has already been started to get the initiative off the ground. Building capacity for clothing manufacturers to improve sustainable waste management and segregation at the source is part of the GIZ-managed pilot programme. The programme also attempts to arrange for approved waste management and recycling businesses to pick up separated material from cutting operations.
Additionally, GIZ is aiming to assist in the production of recycled fibres that will be reincorporated into the value chain of the textile manufacturing industry. In order to track the flow of garbage through the recycling process, the project team is also putting digital traceability technologies into practice.
The pilot project is scheduled to continue until June 2024, during which the project team will monitor and evaluate the feasibility of the recycling infrastructure and the circular business opportunities within Cambodia’s fashion sector.
