In cities like Bengaluru, large volumes of textiles are discarded daily, many from institutional sources like hotels and hospitals. Curious to understand the scale and root of the problem, we conducted an in-depth Issue Analysis.
Through our issue analysis, we mapped the pressure points in the textile waste chain and identified where change could make the most impact. One finding stood out: institutions like hotels were quietly generating a significant share of the textile waste with no proper disposal channels. Conversations with over 100 hotels revealed that the hospitality sector alone discards around 900 tonnes of textile waste every year. Most of it consists of linens that are retired after just 120 washes. With limited options for reuse or recycling, textile waste management these materials eventually ends up in landfills or are incinerated.
For years, these discards have been stored by the institutions that took up spaces or have been collected by the informal workers, without recognition, protection, or inclusion in the value chain. So, we asked ourselves: what if this ‘waste’ could become an opportunity? Not just to reduce environmental harm, but to create dignified, inclusive jobs for those working at the margins of the waste economy?
And that’s exactly what Second Spin, and Enviu Textiles venture, is doing.
Who is Second Spin?
Second Spin (formerly ReTex), is a venture by Enviu, builds circular solutions for institution’s textile waste. The waste coming from the hotels, hospitals etc. is collected, sorted, and transformed discarded textile waste into new, high-value materials such as yarn, felt, and even paper.
Inclusion at the core
At Enviu, we build ventures with stakeholders at the center, because creating inclusive ventures starts with having everyone at the table.
Under the Saamuhika Shakti, a collective of organisations working to improve the lives of waste pickers in Bengaluru, we built on the deep expertise waste pickers have gained over years of collecting waste, and more recently, from adding textiles as a new waste stream.
Second Spin was built with the insights and support from the collective at its core. Waste pickers were included not only during implementation but also during ideation and throughout various stages to improve business models, share cross-learnings, and ensure it’s something they see themselves as a part of. By partnering with local waste management organisations such as Hasiru Dala, Saahas Zero Waste that formalize and empower these workers, creating better income avenues, safer, and more stable jobs. It also incorporates traceability and transparency into the supply chain, ensuring that the people handling the waste are not just protected, but respected.
Why visibility matters
Waste pickers form the backbone of many urban waste systems, yet they remain largely unseen and underrecognized. Without visibility, their contributions are undervalued, and their working conditions often go unaddressed. The taboos also make it hard for them to find different job avenues, upskilling opportunities and dignified lives.
Making waste pickers visible isn’t just about fairness, it’s about shifting how society values labor, materials, and people with experience handling waste. When waste pickers are acknowledged as key players in the circular economy, it opens the door to better policies, fairer pay, safer working environments, and deeper respect.
A hotel partnership set to spark change
One of the latest chain level partners to join this movement is Ascott India, which has started working with Second Spin across multiple properties.
Second Spin has diverted over 2 tonnes of textiles already from one of Ascott’s properties in Chennai. Multiply that across multiple cities and partners, and you start to see a new textile economy taking shape.
Yes, this means tonnes of hotel linens – once destined for landfills – are now being diverted and given a second life. But more importantly, it shows that large institutions can play a pivotal role in reshaping systems for good. This partnership isn’t just about reducing a hotel’s footprint. It’s about redirecting valuable materials back into the economy and creating local employment through collection, sorting, and recycling hubs while supporting more sustainable solutions.
Why Enviu builds inclusive ventures
At Enviu, we believe systemic change doesn’t happen by chance. It takes entrepreneurial ventures designed to disrupt industries, prove new models, and scale impact.
Second Spin is one of many ventures that demonstrates that the textile industry can (and must!) move away from a linear take-make-waste model. And when circularity is done right, it doesn’t just protect natural resources; it also empowers people who are too often left out of the conversation.
Want to be part of the change?
We’re looking for more partners (e.g. hotels, hospitals, spas, and large institutions) to join this movement and build circular systems in their cities.
