close up picture of the sapling of the plant is growing

About Us

Bombay Recycling Concern (BRC) is a registered social enterprise providing waste management services for post-consumer textile waste (secondhand clothing). We are assisting, connecting and empowering the used clothes recyclers community( we called them Bhandiwale/Bartanwale/Chindhiwale in Mumbai). We are encouraging Reuse, Repair & Reintroduction of used clothes to poor needy people in urban & rural areas through used clothes recycler community markets channels where needy people gets used clothes at cheaper price as well as community earning livelihood from our social entrepreneurs.
These initiatives will save the more than six decades old barter trade system of Devipujak (Waghari) communities who collect used clothes against brand new utensils in Mumbai,Delhi,Hyderabad,Kolkata, Ahmedabad and many more metropolitan cities in India. We should support this because This is a true living Circular Economy Trade Model as well as sustainable solutions for the textile and fashion industry.
The present situation focuses on the main environmental problems caused by the textile and fashion industry including Water pollution, Air pollution, Solid waste pollution (dumping ground in urban areas) and Climate change. The fashion industry has some startling statistics on environmental degradation. For instance,Manufacturing only one cotton T-shirt consumes 2700 liters of water. Secondly around 20% of industrial water pollution in the world comes from treatment and dyeing of textiles.Hence a new approach to the production, consumption and disposal of apparel has become absolutely necessary.
We need to spread awareness that the problem of used clothes is increasing due to online sales, offers, discounts, overproduction, promptly changing lifestyles/trends/fashion and new generation developed use and throw mentality, tonnes of discarded clothes accumulated at dumping ground each year adding to environmental issues.

Problems of community:

They are not getting enough clothes from high rise building because of security reasons, reduced interest in barter system, suspicious and changed mentality of loosing status in society.
Long working hours for women, no employment opportunities for young generation.
They still struggle to have fixed marketplaces for selling collected used clothes.
The city beautification process uprooted all the marketplaces of Waghri community’s old clothes markets and the government never considered their plights.
They have been working for 6 decades but no legal status or recognition from government authority.
Despite being a critical part of the city’s clothing recyclers, sustainable trade practice promotes a circular economy and indirectly creating an environment friendly ecosystem for the textile industry but the waghari community and their families suffer a lot of hardships and challenges.

Aims to achieve:

To build recycling hub to enable marginalized communities to lead a life of dignity and economic resilience.
Set up a permanent market places for community
Get recognition and legal vendor’s status from local government authority.
Provide facilities like transportation, warehouse, hygienic toilets and systematic training at market places.
Enrollment and survey of community population
Women’s health and safety training and promote education in community
Educate community about government schemes and rights of the vendor’s community in India.

Vision

Bombay Recycling Concern collects old clothes from the manufacturer, retailer, NGO's, Trust, societies, individuals etc.
We are creating employment opportunities for unorganised work forces.
We are providing good condition clothes to poor people through recycler community channels
We are collaborating with institutions/brands for sustainable solutions
We are promoting the circular economy trade system of the Waghari community and save their year's old trade system.