Clothing waste is a hidden urban challenge across Indian cities, with many unaware of what happens to old garments once discarded. Two engineers from Bengaluru, Prasad Lingawar and Nachiket, have developed NoKasa — a system designed to ensure clothes are responsibly collected, reused, and kept off landfills.
- NoKasa provides doorstep textile waste collection to urban homes.
- Engineers turned to smart incentives to change disposal habits.
- The initiative has kept 23 tonnes of clothes from landfill since 2025.
What happened
In Bengaluru, textile waste has been a largely invisible problem, with many people unsure about what happens to their old clothes after disposal. Recognizing this gap, Prasad Lingawar and Nachiket, two engineers with diverse tech backgrounds, came together to create NoKasa, a platform aimed at bringing transparency and structure to clothing recycling.
Starting in December 2023, the duo spent months observing local waste systems and engaging with e-commerce and delivery companies to learn how informal and formal waste networks operate. By early 2025, NoKasa introduced a smart bin system and doorstep pickup services for textile waste that allow users to hand over clothes easily and earn digital rewards, making recycling more approachable and integrated into daily life.
Why it feels good
NoKasa’s approach addresses a silent but significant environmental challenge by focusing on user convenience and accountability, turning textile disposal from a confusing chore into a simple, rewarding activity. This solves a problem many urban residents face—uncertainty about how to dispose of old clothes responsibly.
Moreover, the system helps reduce landfill burdens by diverting thousands of kilograms of textile waste, fostering a sense of community responsibility and environmental stewardship. It also honors the dignity of reuse by ensuring clothes find second lives rather than being dumped as anonymous waste.
What to enjoy or watch next
Residents of Bengaluru can now participate in NoKasa’s program to make a tangible impact on reducing textile waste in their city. The platform’s digital rewards system encourages sustained engagement, showing that small incentives can indeed motivate meaningful environmental behavior.
Looking ahead, NoKasa’s model offers a promising blueprint for other Indian cities struggling with textile waste. By turning everyday disposal into an accountable, structured process, the founders are paving the way for broader urban sustainability initiatives focused on waste reduction and circular economy principles.