Where Should Our Old Clothes Go?

According to the "Development Strategy Research Report on recycling technology of waste chemical fiber and textile resources" released by the Chinese Academy of Engineering in April 2019, during the "12th Five-Year" period, the total amount of waste chemical fiber textiles produced in China amounted to 1.4 billion tons, and it is estimated that by the end of 13th Five-Year, the amount of waste chemical fiber textiles can reach nearly 2 billion tons. This does not include cotton products (about 30% of the total textile product) and other fiber products (accounting for about 5% of the total textile products). At present, the utilization rate of waste textiles in China is about 15%. Compared with the total utilization rate of 50% in Europe and the United States, we still have much room for improvement.

From the international market, the European and American countries have formed a better recycling system. The main way to use them is to sell second-hand clothing: 60% of the French waste textiles are exported to Africa and Eastern Europe; 60% of the old clothes recycled by German SOEX company are sold as second-hand clothing; some states in the United States have recycled the waste clothes into the municipal recycling system, and brand enterprises such as Nike and Adidas have set up old clothes recycling bins in the store, and have worked with charities. At present, there are about more than 300 old clothes recycling enterprises in the United States. As a second-hand garment recycling method, it has the advantages of simple recycling process, low energy consumption and high reuse rate.

Recycling mode of waste textiles in China:

1. waste clothing recycling box mode

With the help of the government, the professional recycling company will put the recycle bin into the residential area, regularly recover it, send the clothes that accord with the standard of relief to the civil affairs departments and charities, and the remaining part will be used in a comprehensive way.

2. private market recycling mode

At present, a large number of waste textile recycling organizations and individual recycling groups have been spontaneously formed in all parts of the country. After collecting a certain amount of waste textiles, they are sorted and processed, and transported to different industrial gathering areas for sale to professional companies for comprehensive utilization.

Flying ants recycling old clothes

3. producer responsibility extended recovery mode

In 2006, UNIQLO launched the "all commodity recycling and recycling activities", uncovering the clothing of UNIQLO brand for consumers, dressed mainly for two times, and could not be reused to reduce the environmental impact. In 2011, H&M implemented the "old clothes recycling" activities, through the issuance of coupons to recover all brands of clothing; in 2013, the Federation of China Textile Industry Federation of Environmental Protection Committee and Bosideng launched the "old clothes zero abandonment" activities.

H&M coupons donated after old clothes recycling

4. the recovery mode of public welfare organizations

The old clothing donation activities carried out by the public welfare organizations are sent to the less developed areas (including some foreign countries), or to sell the waste clothes to the comprehensive utilization enterprises, and the proceeds are used for public welfare undertakings.

The main methods of recycling waste textiles in China are:

1. direct recovery method

After sorting, cleaning, sanitation and disinfection of waste clothing, it is still used as a garment for circulation purposes, such as donation or low price sale to the economically underdeveloped areas.

2. energy recovery method

The heat value of waste textiles can be converted to heat by burning, which is mainly used for thermal power generation, and is mainly suitable for waste textiles which can not be recycled.

3. chemical recovery method

Using chemical reagents to dispose of waste textiles, dissolve them into small molecules or monomers, and then reassemble them into polymers, such as Eco Circle chemical regeneration of polyester technology in Japan's Teri company. This method has higher requirements for processing technology, especially for raw materials, especially for polyester purity.

4. physical recovery method

The waste textiles are directly processed into regenerated fibers by mechanical means and then spun into yarn, weaving usable textile products. This is the main way to recycle waste textiles in China at this stage. At present, the high value utilization of waste textiles (clothing) has achieved good application in automobile, home appliances and other fields, such as acoustic insulation cotton, automobile sound absorbing materials, building and agricultural greenhouse insulation materials.