Arpan Centres at 10 Delhi Metro stations have collected 41,181.59 kg of old clothes from 3,940 people, with the material being directed towards reuse, upcycling and recycling, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday.
The centres are part of a government initiative to make it easier for residents to deposit unwanted garments at locations connected to the city’s public transport network. According to the Delhi government, the collection had crossed 41 tonnes as of August 31.
The highest collection was recorded at Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital Metro station, which received 9,861.40 kg of clothing. Shalimar Bagh followed with 9,761.03 kg. Punjabi Bagh West collected 6,534.98 kg, while Shahdara received 6,386.08 kg.
The other Arpan Centres are located at Mayur Vihar-I, Hauz Khas, Dwarka-Kakrola, Malviya Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Mohan Estate. Five centres were launched on August 3, while the remaining centres became operational on August 12 and 17.
The government said around 4,266 kg of the collected material had been earmarked for reuse and upcycling, while 29,424 kg had been sent for recycling. The figures indicate that most of the material collected so far has entered the recycling stream, while a smaller portion is being retained for conversion into new products.
Self-help groups are using the collected garments to make items such as rugs, folders, key rings, pouches, bags and torans. These products are displayed and sold at the centres, linking clothing collection with small-scale production and local sales. The 10 centres have recorded total sales of ₹27,036 so far.
The Delhi government has proposed opening 10 more Arpan Centres in January 2027. The proposed locations are Model Town, INA, IP Extension, Paschim Vihar West, Rajendra Place, Janakpuri West, Rajouri Garden, Greater Kailash, Dwarka Sector 10 and Chhatarpur Metro stations.
Gupta described the initiative as a way to utilise old clothes and said participation by Delhi residents could help expand the system. “Our effort is to make it easy and convenient for people to donate old clothes and ensure their maximum utilisation,” she said, adding that the initiative was intended to support efforts to make Delhi cleaner, more beautiful and greener. The next expansion is scheduled for January 2027, subject to the government’s proposal being implemented.
