Old Clothes Recycling Survey: How To Dispose Of 26 Million Tons Of Old Clothes?

The bottom of the pressure box occupies too much space, and it is a waste of direct discarding. How to handle old clothes is almost a problem for every family. Statistics show that about 26 million tons of old clothes are thrown into trash cans each year in China.

Old clothes recycling is needed by people's livelihood and environmental protection, and it also contains huge market space. The circular economy Association survey shows that at present, the recycling rate of old clothes is still less than 1%. Where is the old clothes recycling problem? How to solve it? Reporters conducted an investigation.

Why is it difficult to recycle old clothes?

Compared with China's annual processing volume of over 50 million tons of textile fibers and over $1 trillion of clothing market, old clothes seem to be not mentioned much. However, the clothes hidden in the corner of the wardrobe reflect the embarrassing situation.

According to the circular economy Association of China, about 26 million tons of old clothes are thrown into trash cans each year. If these old clothes are treated by incineration, they will cause waste and pollution. Landfill will have an impact on the soil.

Old clothes must be returned. Although many communities have recycling bins, many families have begun to make corresponding attempts, but the recycling rate is less than 1%. Among them, there are few textiles that can be recycled two times, so it is difficult to achieve a fundamental cycle.

Why is it so hard to recycle old clothes?

The first is cost. Chiang Shi Cheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of engineering, said that the ways of recycling and reusing old clothes usually have four kinds of mechanical, physical, chemical and thermal energy. It is ideal to regenerate the molecules by chemical means and regenerate fibers. However, the production cost is high and large-scale production is still limited.

The second is ideas. Reporter survey found that many people tend to donate their old clothes, even recycling is mostly public interest, and it is more difficult to accept commercial use. Compared with the recycling link, people receiving recycled fiber products are less.

Sun Huaibin, vice president of the China Textile Industry Federation, said that in some countries in Europe and America, recycled fiber products were used more frequently, including ZARA, GAP and other brands. Even if the price is a little high, there are many fans. In China, there is still a lack of knowledge about recycled fiber products. Many people believe that the textiles made therefrom are not clean and unsafe.

"Influenced by ideas, these international brands rarely introduce recycled fiber series in domestic stores." One industry insider said.

The key is business mode. "Every link needs input from commercial power. Compared with donations, old clothes recycling relies on a more complete system. An old clothes recycling worker said that at present, the industry chain is long, the link cost is high, the enterprise is difficult to make profits, and the market is hard to open.

"Especially the back-end business link is not in place, leading to the import and export, the industry can not cycle." Sun Huaibin said, "recycled paper has been accepted and popularized for decades, compared with old clothes recycling."

100 billion market to be developed

On the other hand, it is a more embarrassing situation. On the other hand, it is a trend of low carbon and environmental protection and a huge potential market. Old clothes recycling is difficult, but it is active and innovative, full of attraction.

The corresponding attempt is beginning. One key selection, pick up clothes on the spot, on Alibaba idle trading platform leisure fish, clothing through sorting, transportation, crushing, opening cotton and many other links, began a new journey.

Data show that since the launch of corresponding businesses in March last year, about 24 million old clothes have been recycled. During the past graduation season, about 380 thousand garments from nearly 400 colleges and universities were recovered from idle fish and converted into automobile noise insulation cotton, greenhouse insulation cotton and recycled fabric.

Cao Cao jointly launched the "old clothes recycling plan" with the old clothes environmental protection public platform. Through the sharing of trips and other ways to build a recycling network, and the recovery process dynamic tracking.

"Large-scale user base determines that the platform can do large-scale public service and business exploration." Zhu Xingxiang, President of the circular economy Association of China, believes that information technology can improve the efficiency of resource utilization, solve the management problems such as whole traceability, and explore the mode of sharing and co creation, so that more people can participate in it. "Internet +" provides a new idea for promoting the utilization of idle resources in society.

From making clothes to recycling clothes, some textile and garment enterprises are also playing the advantage of the industrial chain to promote the recycling of old clothes.

"Waste underwear is made up of 17 parts. Hook, ring and ring are recyclable trash, shoulder straps, braces and so on." Lingerie brand likes to issue recycling and environmental protection operations at the official website, popularize the classification of waste clothing and garbage, and combine logistics, decomposition and many other manufacturers.

Degradation treatment, fabric development, printing and dyeing textile, logistics storage...... Around the industrial chain, a series of technology and mode innovation are also developing.

"Recycling of waste textiles is not only an environmental protection project, but also a new economy and new kinetic energy, which will generate 100 billion yuan industries." Jiang Shi Cheng said.

Strengthening management in addition to "blind spots"

Recycling of old clothes is a good thing for the people's livelihood. It is also a frontier industry. If we want to proceed healthily and continuously, we need to improve policies, encourage innovation and standardize management.

First of all, we need to know who will collect and how to collect the corresponding subjects and standards. Reporter survey found that at present, the old clothes recycling is just starting, with the exception of some big brands and platforms, most of them are entrepreneurial enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises. The division, cooperation and coordination of industrial chain still need to be standardized and clear.

For example, many communities have set up recycling bins, but how to follow up management and how to track them is still not clear.

"The recycle bin can be placed, where it can be put, who will manage it after it is released, and who will go out to find out the problem?" Xu Yan, a Chaoyang District resident in Beijing, hopes to clarify the regulatory departments and management standards as soon as possible, set up qualifications and threshold, do real recycling, and avoid some illegal traders selling profits.

Secondly, we should manage and support industrial development and encourage innovation.

At present, the main way to recycle old clothes is to make use of recycled fibers for the two time. However, preferential policies for the corresponding industries of renewable resources have not yet covered the field of waste textiles. Although some enterprises have broken through R & D, they lack the enthusiasm for production because of the high cost and low recognition of finished products.

Experts suggested that the relevant standards should be formulated as soon as possible to ensure the orderly development of old clothing recycling, preferential policies in finance and taxation, encourage enterprises and platforms to innovate, encourage regeneration and utilization of scientific research, strengthen internal and external supervision, and eliminate industrial chaos.

In addition, many people suggested that we should establish "clear accounts" for the recycling of old clothes, so that they can be well documented, eliminate the public's misgivings, and promote the concept of low carbon life and scientific environmental protection in the whole society.