China's textile waste recycling still in infancy

17 Jan '14

2 min read

The recycling of textiles waste is still in its infancy in China. At present, China imports 30 percent of its cotton and 70 percent of its wool requirement, which means there is a huge gap in the supply of fibre.

On the other hand, fibre consumption by China’s textile industry has reached 45 million tons per annum, which means a huge amount of textile waste is being generated. The acceleration of textile waste recycling can, to an extent, ease the shortage of raw materials faced by the Chinese textile industry.

In 2012, China accounted for 52 percent of the world’s textile raw material consumption. The tight supply of raw materials to the Chinese textile industry makes it imperative for China to conserve resources by recycling textiles waste and take the road of sustainable development. In addition, textile waste recycling also significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

For China, which has a huge consumer market for textiles, textile waste utilization is undoubtedly an untapped ‘gold mine’, according to experts. They aver that textile waste recycling is the only way to meet the ecological, green, low-carbon, environmentally friendly requirements.

Last year, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued a new standard to include the ‘recyclables’ category in used clothing, bedding, etc.

Meanwhile, the China Textile Industry Association will promote the development of rational textile waste recycling technology roadmap, and develop a sound network of textile waste recovery and disposal. It will also establish and improve standards of cleaner production system, quality standards, testing supervision system, and ultimately promote the comprehensive utilization of textile waste.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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