Business Case 5: Upcycling with Social Entrepreneurs

The “Green Action in Enterprises” (GAIN) project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, works in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply and other stakeholders towards the green industrial transition by introducing sustainable use and management of energy, water, and waste in the sector. 

In Jordan, the garment manufacturers at Al-Hassan Industrial Estate (HIE) generate 35 tonnes of solid textile waste per day, which is being disposed of in municipal landfills. This textile waste is being treated as a cost factor harming Jordan´s fragile ecosystem. However, textile waste also does involve numerous opportunities and could be recognised as a valuable resource on regional and international level on the long term. Based on collected quantitative and qualitative data, a list of circularity options was explored. 5 business cases have been developed which provide marketable solutions for textile and garment waste minimisation, prevention, and revalorisation. The primary purpose of these business case is to identify opportunities to minimise textile waste, including recycling, upcycling, and reuse measures for factories in HIE.

The business case on upcycling with social enterprises demonstrates a win-win-win collaboration between garment manufacturers, HIE and local social entrepreneurs.