The Chief Minister said the initiative is providing a practical solution to the disposal of old clothes while encouraging sustainable waste-management practices in the national capital.
“Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s Arpan centres are providing a practical solution for the proper disposal of old clothes and are also playing an important role in converting them into useful products through reuse and recycling,” Gupta said.
According to the Delhi government, 10 Arpan centres established at Delhi Metro stations had collected 41,181.59 kg of clothes from 3,940 peopleas of August 31.
The Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital centre recorded the highest collection at 9,861.40 kg, followed closely by the Shalimar Bagh centre, which received 9,761.03 kg of old clothes. The centres at Punjabi Bagh West and Shahdara collected 6,534.98 kg and 6,386.08 kg, respectively.
Other Arpan centres located at Mayur Vihar-1, Hauz Khas, Dwarka-Kakrola, Malviya Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Mohan Estate have also received discarded clothes from residents.
The collected garments are segregated according to their condition and subsequently processed through reuse, upcycling and recycling. Of the material collected, around 4,266 kg has been identified for reuse and upcycling, while 29,424 kg has been sent for recycling.
Through self-help groups, discarded clothes are being given a new lease of life by being converted into products such as rugs, folders, key rings, pouches, bags and decorative items.
These products are displayed and sold at the Arpan centres, creating an additional avenue for promoting recycled products. According to the Delhi government, the centres have recorded sales worth Rs 27,036 from products made using recycled clothes.
The initiative is aimed at reducing textile waste while encouraging citizens to adopt more responsible disposal practices and supporting the creation of useful products from discarded materials.
