As part of the Circular Fashion Partnership (CFP) Indonesia, Closed Loop Fashion (CLF) participated in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) held on April 29 in Jakarta. Hosted by the project’s national lead organisation, Rantai Tekstil Lestari (RTL), the event brought together 60 key stakeholders from across the textile value chain to exchange perspectives and explore practical strategies for improving the circularity of post-industrial textile waste
The opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Basrie Kamba, Chairman of RTL, followed by Mr. Satrio Pratama, Secretary General of RTL and Ms. Francesca Girelli, Impact Programme Operations Coordinator for the CFP Indonesia at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). Representing the Indonesian government, Mr. Apit Pria Nugraha, Head of the Center for Green Industry at the Ministry of Industry, also contributed remarks which marked significant support from the government.
During the sessions, presenters shared valuable insights into Indonesia’s post- industrial textile waste, including volumes, materials, and regional distribution. The discussion covered existing infrastructure, potential partnerships, and local and global technologies for advancing circularity in the sector.
Busana Apparel Group opened the session with valuable insights from a manufacturer’s perspective, setting the tone for a dynamic discussion. The Ministry of Environment followed with an overview of Indonesia’s regulatory framework for textile waste management. Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) delivered an engaging presentation on financing options for sustainability, while Reverse Resources explored the landscape of current textile recycling technologies. Control Union concluded by outlining the requirements and relevance of RCS and GRS certifications for textile waste. Together, these contributions provided a comprehensive view of the opportunities and challenges in advancing circularity in Indonesia’s textile sector.
A highlight of the event was a session moderated by Michael Sun of PT Ever Shine Tex Tbk, featuring Marina Chahboune, who shared valuable insights on Indonesia’s complex textile waste landscape. Drawing on her many years of experience in the region, her presentation, Reimagining Waste: Collaboratively Building Localized Ecosystems for Circular Supply Chains in Indonesia, offered a compelling vision for circular solutions tailored to the local context.
The presentation outlined four critical areas: the countrywide flow of textile waste, estimated waste volumes, the current ecosystem for waste handling, and the introduction of the Textile Waste Management Standard (TWMS) developed by Closed Loop Fashion. Marina emphasized that while Indonesia’s textile waste challenges are significant, solutions like the TWMS offer a promising way forward, turning waste into value and making it accessible. A core part of her presentation focused on translating circular supply chains into practice – clearly mapping out the roles of key stakeholders, from waste aggregators and recyclers to manufacturers, brands, and policymakers. She highlighted the specific challenges each group faces and showcased best practices that are already emerging across the value chain.
The session sparked lively, solution-focused discussions among diverse stakeholders from academics eager to collaborate on research to waste handlers sharing on-the-ground challenges. A key takeaway was the shared recognition that circularity must be locally contextualized, with no one-size-fits-all approach, and that greater visibility across the value chain is essential to building an inclusive, sustainable textile ecosystem.
CFP Indonesia is a programme that aims to create a more sustainable and circular textile system in the country. The project is led by Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) and supported by H&M Foundation, with Rantai Tekstil Lestari (RTL) as the national lead, and Closed Loop Fashion, Reverse Resources, and Circle Economy as implementation partners.
