Chaand, Nada Samir

Resource Efficiency & Sustainable Waste Management

Chaand is a sustainable startup that reutilizes clothes, fabric and textile waste by shredding them and producing recycled fibers used in making yarns. Chaand’s used textiles are collected, recycled, and then re-used via a closed-loop recycling system to produce new textiles. This eliminates the need to use virgin materials, ensuring a circular economy approach.

Chaand saves 99% of water, 50% of greenhouse gases, and avoids pollutants resulting from new fabric manufacture. The economic dimension of the project supports women economically, on one hand, it supports the circular economy, on the other hand, it provides the primary raw material for the textile industry at competitive prices, much cheaper than natural cotton, in addition to its economic cost, which is much lower than natural cotton.

Chaand uses novel technology and R&D to improve all stages. This is exemplified in the “Digital Textile Waste Tracking” technology, which tracks the flow of textile waste from production to disposal. It helps identify areas where waste can be reduced or recycled. This is in addition to the “Closed-Loop Recycling” where used textiles are collected, recycled, and then used to produce new textiles. This eliminates the need to use virgin materials and helps apply circular economy fundamentals.

Founded by a female entrepreneur, Chaand gives much emphasis to women’s economic and social empowerment in addition to providing breadwinner women in rural areas with sustainable jobs in a friendly and safe environment. Her startup plays an important role in the repositioning and promoting recycled fabric products and garments made of recycled materials in the Egyptian market.

Social Impact:

• Supporting women who are breadwinners, while providing them with a friendly and safe work environment.
• Promoting the culture of recycling clothes and buying clothes made of recycled materials.

Environmental Impact:

• Recycled materials use 99% less water to produce than clothing made from raw materials.
• Recycling fabrics reduces greenhouse gases by 50% or more compared to making clothing from brand new materials.
• The process is less complicated than in creating new fabrics, so there is less pollution generated.