Textile waste management cognizance: Creating awareness among women entrepreneurs

Textile waste is a major environmental problem, as it takes up space in landfills, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and pollutes the environment. The most feasible approach to reduce the waste is reprocessing of waste material into new or reusable product, in a manner that on the one hand some burden of solid waste on our ecosystem is lessened and on the other hand sustainability is achieved through replenish able resources. The present study was an attempt towards cognizance of pre and post-consumer textile waste by encouraging the perspective women entrepreneurs for sustainable recycling with a focus on utilization of textile waste generated at household level for development of different type of bags. Paper patterns of fifteen different types of bags were prepared and trainings were imparted to the women entrepreneurs on use of paper patterns for product development. After the trainings, gain in knowledge of respondents was studied and it was observed that the respondents succeeded in acquiring knowledge about utilization of textile waste for product development and use of paper patterns for cutting and stitching of different type of bags. The trainees found paper-patterns very helpful and easy technique to develop products (WMS 2.92), utilizing textile waste for product development is an innovative and cost effective idea (WMS 2.77) and money can be earned by developing diversified products from textile waste (WMS 2.40).