Low carbon emissions to be biggest challenge – experts

30 Aug '10

2 min read

Experts from Chinese Academy of Engineering are of the opinion that, China's textile sector enjoys advantages of high global market share, abundant raw materials and complete industry chain, but compared with advanced foreign levels, China has clear gaps in levels of equipment, information technology and environmental protection.

In particular, China is still heavily dependent on some imported functional materials. Overall, China's textile industry is still at the stage of growth with low processing and low value-added production and that China's competitiveness of core and key technologies is still not strong.

Environmental pollution has become a serious bottleneck in the growth of the textile industry. Experts say the sector faces a very severe test of producing goods by emitting low-carbon and especially the adoption of carbon tariffs in developed countries will greatly impact the industry that is still at lower end of textile supply chain.

For example, a piece of 400 grams polyester pants will produce 47 kg of carbon dioxide emission during washing, drying, ironing, if its life is 2 years, while a piece of 250 grams pure cotton T-shirt will produce 7 kg of carbon dioxide emissions in its life time.

Fortunately, researchers have made achievements in "low-carbon textile technology". Experts say to meet the green needs of social environment, the major tasks of Chinese textile engineering technology will be to develop energy-saving, emission reduction, low power, low-carbon technologies and processes and materials.

At the same time also promote clean production and development of clean products; provide consumers with healthier, safer, greener products; implement recycling economy, research and develop biodegradable, renewable, recyclable materials (such as raw materials and fiber materials) used in traditional and new fields.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - China

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