The Beginning of Life

Pre-Consumer Waste in the Apparel Industry

Bangladesh, a global leader in textile manufacturing, grapples with the substantial challenge of post-production textile waste. The rapid growth of the fashion sector has led to massive production volumes that result in significant waste, including fabric offcuts, surplus materials, defective items, and unsold inventory. Bangladesh generates approximately 400,000 tons of pre-consumer textile waste annually.

Circular solutions are essential to address this problem. Efficiently recycling this textile waste could save up to $700 million annually by reducing cotton imports and could generate additional revenue of $4 billion to $5 billion annually through exports of garments made from recycled textile waste. By embracing different circular strategies, Bangladesh can reduce post-production textile waste, conserve resources, and promote a more sustainable fashion industry.

Textile Hack 2024 is addressing these critical challenges of post-production waste in Bangladesh's apparel and fashion industry. Participants will brainstorm, design, and develop actionable solutions with expert guidance to transition the RMG sector towards a circular economy.

Solution Areas

Product Design

This sub-theme focusses on creating new products using post-consumer waste that are durable, repairable, can be repurposed and recyclable to reduce landfill waste. Product design challenges include:

  • Modular and Repairable Design: In the post consumption phase how can we easily recycle, repair, and repurpose items? E.g. developing repairable designs of zippers or buttons on jeans (Beall, 2022).

  • Material Innovation: Can we create new materials using post-consumer waste? E.g. using waste textiles in new products such as car insulation (Jordan, 2023).

  • Second-life clothing: Can we create new clothing lines using post-consumer waste? E.g developing felt from textile waste to create bags (i-did,2024)
Process Design

This sub-theme focusses on developing new processes to manage postconsumer waste. Process design focusses on developing new supply chain mechanics that will allow post-consumer waste processing to be more efficient, less energy-consuming and allows for more materials to be recycled, re-used or remanufactured.

  • Circular Supply Chain: Can we promote sustainable sourcing and material reintegration post consumption? E.g. H&M's "Take Care" program and Adidas' "Futurecraft.Loop" sneaker

  • Second-life Manufacturing: Can we innovate the technical processes used to manage post-consumer waste? E.g. develop new ways of recycling and partnerships with other industries for re-use.
  • Efficiency in Production: Can we reduce energy consumed and emissions created during waste processing? E.g. Using new technologies like thermo-mechanical recycling (Hedrich et al, 2022)
Circular Tech and Marketplace

This sub-theme focusses on connecting local and international RMG stakeholders to harmonize shared aspirations to adopt circular design principles. Circular tech and marketplace challenges include:

  • Digital Thrift Stores and Re-Commerce: Can we create new digital platforms that offer post-consumer waste products? E.g. Platforms like ThredUp and Depop promote the extension of garment lifecycles and circular consumption.

  • Upcycling and Customization strategies: Can we develop new upcycling platforms and offer customized services? E.g. The Renewal Workshop collects damaged & used garments for brands, and cleans, repairs and resells them to consumers through a branded recommerce site.

  • AI and Big Data in Circular Fashion: Can we optimize data and forecasting to optimize the post-consumer supply chain? E.g. Fashion Genome Project by Loomia and Reverse Resources' recycling technologies, optimizes recycling processes and predicts trends.

Focus Points

Hackathon Journey

From Kickoff to Awards

27 November

10:00 - 13:00

Workshop 1: Introduction to Textile Waste and Problem Identification.

30 November

10:00 - 13:00

Workshop 2: Creative Problem Solving and Concept Development.

07 December

10:00 - 13:00

Workshop 3: Prototyping and Iterative Design.

12 December

10:00 - 13:00

Workshop 4: Testing and Final Presentations.

Hackathon Timeline

From Kickoff to Awards

How We Assess Your Innovations

The evaluation will focus on several key aspects to ensure solutions are innovative, feasible and impactful. The criteria include:

Innovation

Originality of the solution and its potential impact on waste reduction.

Scalability

The ability to implement the solution on a larger scale.

Environmental Impact

The effectiveness of the solution in reducing environmental footprint.

Economic Viability

The cost-effectiveness of implementing the solution.

User Adoption

Evaluates the ease with which the end-user can adopt the solution.

Social Impact

Assesses the positive effects of the solution on communities & society at large.

Meet the Judges

Our judges bring diverse expertise from the worlds of academia, industry, and sustainability, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of entries.

Ronald Richards

CEO, Imaginary Company

Marvin McKinney

CEO, Imaginary Company

Theresa Webb

CEO, Imaginary Company

Arlene McCoy

CEO, Imaginary Company

Bessie Cooper

CEO, Imaginary Company

Jenny Wilson

CEO, Imaginary Company

Wade Warren

CEO, Imaginary Company

Brooklyn Simmons

CEO, Imaginary Company

Join Us

Application will open soon for 2025 Cohort 02