Textile sustainability strategist argues that the recycling sector has made incineration into a type of all-purpose villain, where the real barriers to recycling are much more practical
In the latest episode of Ecotextile Talks, regular contributor Shivam Gusain says the recycling sector is too quick to blame incineration and that the bigger challenge is building practical recycling capacity amid the textile sector’s waste management and climate pressures.
Speaking to host Philip Berman, Gusain says the industry conversation is too focused on incineration as “the big hammering point” and on the idea that it is holding recycling back.
He argues the sector is overlooking more basic problems around economics and handling: “A lot of the waste gets diverted to incineration because it’s cheaper,” he says, but adds, “I do not think we have substantial evidence to back that up.”
He says that even if incineration were cut down, recycling would not suddenly work better, because “it takes time and money and resources to get the recycling done right.”
Gusain also rejects the idea that incineration is always the worst option on health grounds, saying there is often confusion between controlled incineration and open burning of waste.
He points to examples of countries with successful implementation, before closing with a warning for the industry to stop looking for “one single silver bullet”, saying that climate change and the carbon problem should take priority over visible textile waste.
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