“With this phase of the #Invaluables, we wanted to move from awareness to action, and reframe them as professionals.”Soma Katiyar, Executive Creator Director, BBC Media Action, India

A new spike of BBC Media Action’s #Invaluables intervention under Saamuhika Shakti initiative puts a spotlight on the skills and expertise of waste pickers in recycling old clothes and bringing it back to the waste value chain instead of it going to the landfills.

 Bengaluru, 16 April 2025: As part of its ongoing #Invaluables initiative, BBC Media Action today unveiled a unique business card that serves as a reminder to recycle responsibly. A business card is usually for networking, but this is the one that reminds you to take action, while for the first time, enabling them with a title that truly reflects their contributions in the waste value chain and circular economy.

When it comes to recycling, #InvaluableRecyclers have the expertise, skills and knowledge to prepare a piece of cloth to be recycle-ready. The business card is part of the newly launched campaign ‘Got Old Clothes?’ which urges Bengalureans to responsibly discard their old clothes by sending the post-consumer textile waste to the #InvaluableRecyclers – aka the waste pickers of Bengaluru.

Spotlighting the vital role of the wastepickers in addressing the mounting textile waste that often ends up in landfills, the campaign builds on the critical role of waste pickers in diverting a massive 38,32,50,000 kilograms (Namma Bengaluru’s Happy Number) of waste from going to landfills every year. According to a report by Enviu^[1], India generates 7.2 million tonnes of textile waste annually, of which 3.94 million tonnes is post-consumer textile waste discarded by households. This poses severe environmental challenges, causing air, water and soil pollution and contributing to climate change through carbon emissions.

The cards have been created using discarded clothes collected from Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs) and fabricated by waste picker families at Sambhav Foundation-run skill development centres fostering micro-entrepreneurship. Sambhav Foundation is also part of the Saamuhika Shakti initiative.

 Speaking of the card and the campaign, , Soma Katiyar, Executive Creator Director, BBC Media Action, India, said, “With this phase of the #Invaluables, we wanted to move from awareness to action, and reframe them as professionals. There is an urgent need to recognise these professionals who are the backbone of our waste value chain and circular economy. At the heart of the ‘Got Old Clothes?’ is this fabric business card, which is more than just a symbol. The card represents a shift in how we see and value waste pickers. By calling them #InvaluableReyclers, we’re not giving them a title, we’re simply telling the story of their contributions. When design, storytelling, and community action come together, we can create powerful narratives that not only inform but transform.”

The cards will not only create awareness but also provide a call to action for Bengalureans. A centralised WhatsApp number will facilitate the collection drive:

• The WhatsApp number +91 9741730854 managed by Saamuhika Shakti partner Hasiru Dala will connect residents to a chatbot which will guide them to different DWCCs in Bengaluru where they can discard used garments and linens
• For old clothes quantities exceeding 50 kilograms, doorstep pickups can be arranged by Hasiru Dala; for quantities lower than 50 kilograms, residents are guided to the nearest DWCC for drop off

The decentralised system of daily collection of post-consumer textile waste from the 16 wards through the DWCCs and the aggregation centre, Textile Recovery Facility, to recycle textile waste has been operationalised by Saamuhika Shakti partner Circular Apparel Innovation Factory in tandem with Hasiru Dala.

The #Invaluables campaign by BBC Media Action is part of Saamuhika Shakti, a collective impact initiative, the first of its kind in India, where 12 partners have joined forces to enable waste pickers to have greater agency to lead secure and dignified lives.

The press event was joined by city-based Actor and Creative Impresario Danish Sait, who has played an important role in this new campaign, along with representatives of organisations working with Saamuhika Shakti and BBC Media Action.

 Talking about his involvement in the campaign, Danish Sait said, “Talking about his involvement in the campaign Danish Sait said, “As a storyteller connected to Bengaluru, who also believes in the power of influencing for good, I’m excited to collaborate and contribute to the ‘Got Old Clothes?’ campaign. The opportunity to share this story and highlight the crucial role our #InvaluableRecyclers play in protecting Namma Bengaluru’s environment especially when it comes to textile waste is very important to me. I sincerely hope this campaign inspires all of us to dispose of old garments responsibly and support our #InvaluableRecyclers  in preventing waste from ending up in landfills.”

 Highlighting the support received from Saamuhika Shakti partners, Varinder Kaur Gambhir, Country Director, BBC Media Action, India, said, “The journey of #Invaluables from being invisible to an individual recognised and respected by Bengalureans wouldn’t have been possible without the support and collaboration of our partners from Saamuhika Shakti. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our partners for their unwavering trust, deep commitment, and collaborative spirit.”

Recently, the Indian Prime Minister, in his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, voiced concern over the country’s escalating textile waste problem. The address highlighted the critical role of waste pickers in the waste value chain and their first right to claim, access, sort, and sell recyclable materials, ensuring their welfare and fair renumeration.

Bengaluru itself generates a significant volume of textile waste. Research by Hasiru Dala estimates that ~60% of discarded textiles received at DWCCs in Bengaluru have recycling potential if collected separately and uncontaminated. Estimates also suggest that approximately 22,500 people are engaged in waste picking, significantly contributing to the city’s waste management system.

BBC Media Action’s new campaign builds on the success of its earlier campaigns, which includes ‘Happy Number’ and ‘Wash the Dabba’. Research findings post ‘Wash the Dabba’, which exhorted people to empty, rinse and dispose plastic food containers responsibly, revealed:

• 93% of Bengaluru residents recalled the campaign
• 60% reported having begun washing plastic food containers before disposal, a small act with major impact on recyclability and safety of waste pickers