China launches national textile recycling project
06/06/2022
Deputy director of consumer products at the country’s ministry of industry and information technology, Cao Xuejun, delivered a keynote speech during which she expanded on what were described as the ministry’s four key tasks for supporting national textile recycling efforts between 2025 and 2030, and beyond.
According to Ms Cao, these four tasks broadly include: creating a textile recycling roadmap which signposts potential stumbling blocks, as well as core technologies; researching methodologies for evaluating waste textiles, in terms of how their reuse can be accounted for as part of the country’s wider carbon neutrality objectives; supporting the construction of a “green” fibre platform; and generating labelling guidelines and specifications for clothing and fabrics made with these “green” fibres – ie, those derived from recycled textiles.
Deputy director at China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC)’s office for social responsibility and director of sustainability stewardship programmes, Hu Kehua, separately introduced the project’s work plan.
Notably, Mr Hu focused on current processes, difficulties and the need for technological innovation when it comes to the sorting and reuse of what he called the country’s six main fibre categories: cotton, polyester, man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCFs), nylon, acrylic and elastane (ie, spandex). He added that the project would also extend to capacity building for participating manufacturers and involve the publication of textile-to-textile research reports, to be unveiled as part of a future circular-economy conference.
Bodies including CNTAC’s office for social responsibility and the state-owned China Textile Information Center will now move to jointly undertake research and analysis of textile recycling processes, plus the cost and quality differences of recycled fibres, alongside brands and producers located both locally and abroad, reports suggested. It is further hoped that a multi-stakeholder communication mechanism can be implemented to better facilitate the exchange of ideas.
This initial stage of the project is expected to complete by the close of 2022.
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