Panipat factory workers suffer respiratory illness from imported fast fashion waste
Updated
Updated · Букви · May 9
Panipat factory workers suffer respiratory illness from imported fast fashion waste
6 articles · Updated · Букви · May 9
In Panipat, India, workers handling clothing waste from the US, UK and Japan also reported skin eruptions, while journalists saw no masks or gloves in three workshops.
Workers said cotton fibres, chemical dust and dyeing fumes caused constant coughing and breathing problems, while former workers described burns and rashes from toxic chemicals used in bleaching and dyeing.
The industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, but experts warn daily exposure may shorten lives, and waste dumping into drains is worsening pollution, water contamination and legal disputes over emissions.
As new EU regulations take effect, can India's 'castoff capital' reform its toxic industry, or will it be cut off from global trade?
Is recycling fast fashion a real solution or just a way to export a toxic problem to the other side of the world?
With millions of lives and a river at stake, who truly profits from the mountains of clothes dumped on Panipat?
Panipat and the Global Fast Fashion Fallout: Health, Pollution, and the True Cost of Recycling 1 Million Tonnes of Textile Waste
Overview
Panipat, known as the world’s textile recycling capital, processes over a million tonnes of discarded textiles each year, providing jobs and generating significant revenue. However, this industry has created a severe crisis, with overflowing landfills, untreated wastewater, and pervasive air pollution leading to widespread environmental damage and serious health problems for workers and residents. The city faces high rates of respiratory diseases and other illnesses due to poor waste management and hazardous working conditions. Panipat’s situation highlights the urgent need for better regulation and sustainable practices to protect both people and the environment.