China lacks large-scale firms in textile waste recycling

25 Jul '13

2 min read

In recent years, textile waste recycling has overcome some of the key technology bottlenecks, and the quality of the recycled products has significantly improved. The utilization of waste textiles can save a lot of textile materials, and greatly ease the strain on resources like petrochemicals, cotton, land for cultivation, etc.

Along with advancement in renewable technologies, the applications of renewable textiles will continue to grow, resulting in tremendous economic benefits.

However, there are no large-scale leading enterprises engaged in a large-scale, high-value, resource recycling in China.

Currently, the textile waste recycling sector in China consists of small-scale companies that are scattered, which gives rise to security risks, disordered completion, etc.

Moreover, there is no information on textile waster recycling industrial clusters, and the authorities have failed to establish a standardized, orderly, regional distribution centres to regulate trade practices in the industry.

China’s textile consumption during the Twelfth Five Year Plan period (2011-15) is estimated to grow at over 12 percent, which would generate more than 140 million tons of textile waste, according to relevant data.

Of the total textile waste generated, about 98 million tons would come under classification of chemical fibre, and about 42 million tons would belong to natural fibre. At present, these textile wastes are not comprehensively used.

Textile waste generally results from two sources. First is the waste from production processes, which include waste silk, waste cloth in dyeing and printing, corners of fabric cut at garment factories, etc. The second is the waste from consumers, which includes clothing and home textiles that have completed their life cycle.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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