India’s “Castoff Capital” Panipat: The Hidden Cost of Fast Fashion Recycling

The Indian city of Panipat, known as the “castoff capital of the world,” recycles massive volumes of discarded fast-fashion textiles from Europe, North America, and East Asia, but this industry is creating a severe public health crisis among its workers.

According to an article by The Guardian, Panipat’s recycling sector handles approximately 1 million tonnes of textile waste annually through 20,000 industrial units and a workforce of at least 300,000 people. Workers like Neerma Devi work long hours shredding used clothes, which releases heavy clouds of lint and microfibers into the air.

This continuous exposure is causing an alarming surge in respiratory illnesses. Reports from local doctors indicate that lung disease, asthma, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are extremely common among factory laborers, many of whom cannot afford to quit. The lint and microfibers settle permanently in the workers’ lungs.

The environmental damage extends beyond the factories. Panipat’s bleaching and dyeing units discharge an estimated 80% of their wastewater directly into the environment, contaminating local groundwater with heavy metals, including lead and manganese. This pollution has led to widespread health problems like skin ailments and an increase in noncommunicable diseases in surrounding villages.

Despite regulatory efforts, enforcement is weak. Although India’s National Green Tribunal has ordered the closure of illegal dyeing units, fines are often reduced or uncollected, allowing banned operations to quickly reopen under new names. The cost of this recycling—touted globally as a solution to textile waste—is disproportionately borne by the health of the workers and the local environment.