OLD CLOTHES GET NEW LIFE
Hong Kong is leading the way when it comes to recycling textiles
Recently, the nonprofit H&M Foundation and the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel opened two textile recycling facilities in Hong Kong.
This is the first time that hydrothermal recycling technology, which won the top award at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, is being used on a large scale.
In addition, a miniaturized Garment-To-Garment Recycling System, has been set up as a result of a collaboration between HKRITA and Novetex Textiles Limited.
The facilities are a result of an innovative partnership with HKRITA to accelerate research in textile recycling; and to speed up the development of a closed loop for textiles to safeguard the environment.
In September 2017, a year into the four-year long partnership with the foundation, HKRITA came up with the hydrothermal method of recycling cotton and polyester blends — which used to be considered unrecyclable — into new fibers.
Meanwhile, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Lam Cheng Yuet-Ngor, and Yang Weixiong, the secretary for Innovation and Technology Bureau attended the opening ceremony of a new pre-industrial size facility using this technology.
Speaking at the event, Lam Cheng said that when it came to waste textiles, the region produced 120,000 tons in 2016. And she said that the new environmental production line would help the reindustrialization of the region.
She also added that the government is devoted to promoting reindustrialization by providing infrastructure, financial resources, technical support, and training.
Separately, the innovation lead of the H&M Foundation, Erik Bang said: “This (recycling) is a significant step toward a new fashion industry that operates within the planetary boundaries.
“And as we scale up and make this technology freely available to the industry, we will reduce the dependence on limited natural resources to dress a growing global population.”
Also, alongside the miniaturized Garment-To-Garment Recycling System a retail shop selling recycled garments was opened. So, customers can bring in their unwanted clothes, and watch the containersized system recycle their garments.
“Seeing is believing, and when customers see what a valuable resource garments at end of life can be, they will take to recycling and recognize the difference their actions can make,” says Bang.
The Garment-To-Garment Recycling System is the result of collaboration between HKRITA, the H&M Foundation and a textile-recycling mill and local spinning mill. The sys- tem is located at The Mills in the Centring district of Hong Kong, a newly repurposed former textile mill.
The system is placed in a container of 40 feet, exhibiting the complete production process. And the steps include sanitization of the collected garments, removing hard trims such as buttons and zippers, cutting the fabric into smaller pieces, opening and mixing fiber, carding, spinning, doubling, twisting, and eventually garment knitting.
Speaking about the recycling project, Edwin Keh, chief executive officer of HKRITA, says: “After successfully developing recycling technologies, we have devoted effort to put them into practice. Our recycling systems represent the industry’s innovation efforts. These not only revitalize a decades-old industry, but also do it sustainably.”
Cher Chui, the first customer of the retail shop, purchased knitwear costing more than HK$600 ($77).
Gloria Yao, the project development director of HKRITA, says that the selling price of recycled garments will come down once people accept the technology.
The H&M Foundation is projected to invest 5.8 million euros ($6.7 million) with HKRITA over four years.
The investment is made possible through the surplus from the H&M group’s in-store garment collecting programs, which is donated to the H&M Foundation.
The H&M Foundation allocates 50 percent of the total surplus to research on textile recycling and the other 50 percent to projects focusing on equality and inclusion of marginalized groups.
This (recycling) is a significant step towards a new fashion industry that operates within the planetary boundaries, And as we scale up and make this technology freely available to the industry, we will reduce the dependence on limited natural resources to dress a growing global population.” Erik Bang innovation lead of the H&M Foundation