Sixth award for HKRITA’s Green Machine
HKRITA (the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel) won bronze at the 2023 Edison Awards in Florida in mid-April. Founded in 1987, the Edison Awards give high-profile recognition to innovative products and business leaders around the world.
HKRITA won its bronze award in the event’s circular economy category. It said this was the sixth award its Green Machine project has received.
The Green Machine separates cotton and polyester blends, solving a long-standing challenge of recycling blended materials in the textiles industry. Recovered polyester fibres can be recycled into yarns after decolourisation, while cellulose powder decomposed from cotton fibres can be turned into a textile finish reagent, regenerated cellulosic fibres or as a water-retention agent for farming.
Chief executive of HKRITA, Edwin Keh, said: “This is truly a fast-track development, and very soon we will see the first industrial-scale Green Machine set up in Hong Kong to provide a viable solution to the recovery and use of valuable materials in a sustainable manner.”
