2023 Textile Industry Circular Economy Summit Forum Held In Shanghai

At present, sustainable development has become a global consensus. As an important part of the global manufacturing industry, the textile industry needs to adopt a more environmentally friendly and sustainable production mode to reduce the impact on the environment and develop a circular economy, which is an important way to achieve this goal. How to promote the modernization of the entire industrial system with high-quality development of the textile industry and better serve the overall situation of the country and the happiness of the people is an urgent issue for us to answer.

On November 29, the 2023 textile circular economy summit forum with the theme of "opening a new journey and seeing a new future" was held in Shanghai. At the meeting, relevant leaders and guests from national ministries and commissions, China Textile Federation, NGO organizations, as well as industry experts and scholars, scientific research institutions, brand enterprise representatives, etc. gathered together to analyze the circular economy policy, share innovative practical experience, discuss the new mode of green, circular and low-carbon transformation of the textile industry, and provide new ideas and directions for the sustainable development of the industry.

The meeting was guided by the China Textile Industry Federation, and hosted by the China Textile Industry Federation Environmental Protection and Resource Conservation Promotion Committee and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (UK) Beijing Representative Office. The meeting was chaired by Cheng Xuan, Deputy Director of the Industry Department of the China Textile Industry Federation.

Construction of modern textile industry system starts from the development of circular economy

Duan Xiaoping, Vice President of China Textile Industry Federation, said in his speech that at present, sustainable development has become the development goal of the whole industry. As an important part of sustainable development, the development of circular economy is a major measure to promote the strategic deployment of ecological civilization construction. It is an inevitable choice to accelerate the transformation of economic development mode, build a resource-saving and environment-friendly society, and achieve sustainable development. In this regard, China's textile industry is taking the "dual carbon" goal as the guide, orderly promoting green and low-carbon circular development, and continuously promoting industrial transformation and upgrading. The application effect of clean production technologies such as green printing and dyeing, and the scale of recycling and reuse of waste fibers are steadily improving, providing strong support for the global textile industry to achieve sustainable development.

He pointed out that in order to actively explore the development path and accelerate the construction of a modern textile industry system, China Textile Federation has issued the Action Outline for Building a Modern Textile Industry System (2022-2035), which provides a Chinese plan for building a modern textile industry system. In the future, China Textile Federation will focus on promoting the green transformation of the industry from five aspects: promoting the circular development of the park, implementing the integrated development of the Internet and resource recycling, expanding the supply capacity of green fiber, improving the recycling system of waste textiles, and strengthening the green management of the whole product life cycle.

Jos Breriott, Executive Director of Alan MacArthur Foundation (UK) and Head of International Institutions and Government Affairs, first expressed his gratitude for the friendly cooperation with China Textile Federation over the years when delivering a speech in the form of video. He said that China is the world's largest textile and clothing producer and exporter, and the EU ranks first in the world in terms of total clothing imports. Both sides play a vital role in developing the circular economy. The circular economy model is not only to extend the durability of products and retain the maximum value to reduce the demand for raw materials, but also to take positive consideration of nature and climate at the beginning of the design of the production process, which is particularly important for achieving the goal of sustainable development. At present, the strength and ambition shown by China and the EU mean that through joint creation, both sides can bring about significant changes at the global level. It is believed that this dialogue will be successful and pragmatic, and will stimulate the birth of more industrial solutions. He stressed that circular economy can help solve the triple crisis of environmental pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity. The textile and clothing industry will be a vivid practice of developing circular economy.

Explore a new model, build a new ecology of green development together

Yang Shangbao, the second level inspector of the Department of Environment and Resources of the National Development and Reform Commission, shared the topic of "Green transformation promotes high-quality development". He said that high-quality development is the primary task of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way. The five aspects involved in it all cover the relevant contents of green transformation and green development. It can be said that green transformation is the key link of high-quality development. To realize green transformation, we should focus on comprehensive green transformation; Comprehensive resource conservation strategy; Systematic governance of environment; Ecological diversity, stability and sustainability are improved, and carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are steadily promoted.

He pointed out that the textile industry is a traditional industry, a modern industry and a permanent industry. To promote high-quality development of the industry with green transformation, we must do a good job in water conservation, energy conservation, comprehensive utilization of resources and environmental protection, and promote the green and digital transformation of the whole life cycle. In order to realize the sustainable development of the industry, he put forward eight suggestions: first, make a systematic green transformation; Second, accelerate digital transformation; Third, standards lead; Fourth, innovation driven; Fifth, take the market as the guidance, and give play to the main role of enterprises; Sixth, win-win cooperation; Seventh, strengthen industry self-discipline; Eighth, strengthen international cooperation.

"In the future, the innovation focus of the circular development of the textile industry is to benchmark the seven actions of the modern textile industry system to speed up the high-quality development of the recycling of resources in the textile industry chain." Cheng Xuan titled "China's textile industry circular economy development planning and innovation drive", The sharing was carried out from two aspects: the development planning of circular economy in textile industry and the innovation focus of circular development in textile industry. In combination with the 14th Five Year Plan for the Development of the Textile Industry, the 14th Five Year Plan for Green Development of the Textile Industry, and the Action Plan for Building a Modern Textile Industry System (2022-2035), he detailed the development goals of biodegradable materials and green fibers in the plan, key tasks of recycling development, key projects of resource recycling The key project of waste textile reuse and the construction of resource recycling system of textile industry chain are described. He stressed that under the background of "double carbon", the textile industry is developing a circular economy. At present, many well-known brands at home and abroad have begun to carry out textile recycling, sustainable material use and sustainable design, which will boost the circular development of the industry.

Liang Chenyang, consultant of the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) in East Asia, took the European Sustainable Textile Waste Management Strategy as the title, combined with a large number of cases, on the new requirements of EU textile related strategic regulations, ESPR and Waste Framework Directive on textile management EU countries shared how to implement the EPR system for clothing and the business model for sustainable management of textile waste. She first gave a detailed interpretation of the EU's sustainable and recycling textile strategy in 2022, the new proposal of the Regulations on Sustainable Product Ecological Design, and the Waste Framework Directive. She pointed out that by 2030, textiles on the EU market will be durable, recyclable, mainly made of recycled fibers, free of harmful substances, and produced in an environmentally friendly manner. Among them, as the first country in the European Union to implement the mandatory EPR plan for textiles, French manufacturers mainly fulfill this obligation by providing funds to the PRO organization called Eco TLC, and promote it by providing bonuses for durable products, environmental certification, using recycled materials and other ways. At the meeting, she took the Al Hassan Textile Industrial Park in Jordan as an example to share five business models for sustainable management of textile waste in detail.

Wang Lin, director of the comprehensive utilization project of resources of the Environmental Protection and Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of China Textile Federation, shared the topic of "Research and Practice on Recycling Path of China's Waste Textile Resources with Zero Discarding of Used Clothing". She said that under the guidance and promotion of a series of national and industry associations' policies, the textile industry has initially formed a recycling system of textile industry chain resources that integrates the Internet+green fiber, green design, green manufacturing, green consumption and recycling system. Under the guidance of the principle of "reducing, reusing and recycling" of waste textile resources recycling in the textile industry, the core of zero waste is to maximize the effective use of resources and minimize the waste of waste resources. Zero abandonment is both a goal and an action plan, which requires the participation of the whole industry and society. At the meeting, she also shared the design and path of recycling mode of waste textiles in detail, taking the circular economy system of jeans and clothing industry and the pilot project of recycling and recycling of hotel waste linen as examples. She said that in the future, the Environmental Protection and Assets Supervision and Administration Commission will work together with more resources to further promote the concept of green design, promote green consumption mode, advocate green lifestyle, and help the sustainable development of the industry.

"Recycling chemical fiber is the key to solving the double problems of resource shortage and environmental pressure in China's chemical fiber industry, and is a typical representative of resource utilization in the chemical fiber industry's circular economy." Deputy Chief Engineer of China Chemical Fiber Industry Association Li Deli, Secretary General of Recycled Chemical Fiber Branch, shared the topic of Practice and Direction of Circular Economy in China's Chemical Fiber Industry. He introduced that during the "13th Five Year Plan" period, the chemical fiber industry vigorously developed the circular economy around "reduction, reuse, and recycling", and achieved good results in the consumption intensity of resources and energy, fiber recycling and other key aspects, and the green development system and mechanism continued to improve. He pointed out that although some enterprises have started to use physical/physical chemical regeneration technology of waste polyester fiber products for production, all chemical fiber varieties have urgent needs for recycling. In the future, the development direction of chemical fiber industry circular economy is mainly to promote energy conservation and low-carbon development and improve resource utilization efficiency; Build a green manufacturing system and enhance the supply capacity of green products; Build a recycling system, improve the level of recycling, and carry out modular disassembly of waste textiles.

Dialogue and exchange: joint responsibility to start a new journey

Focusing on the topic of "circular economy practice of international institutions", Valerie Boyten, senior policy officer of Allen MacArthur Foundation (UK) on circular fashion, international institutions and government affairs, Ren Wenwei, regional director of WWF Shanghai Yue Qingsong, the general manager of SGS Risk Management Tengli Solution Center in China, respectively shared practice and experience in combination with their respective work areas.

"Recycling economy is the core of realizing green agreements, achieving climate change and carbon reduction goals, and requiring more extensive reforms in the way of production, use and recycling of products." Valerie Boyten combined a large number of cases to discuss the core principles and strategies of the concept of recycling economy The latest circular economy policies formulated by the EU for the textile industry and some key work of the Foundation were shared. She said that the current fashion industry is a typical representative of the linear development model. In order to "reduce emissions" and "reduce environmental impact", the development of circular economy is the most effective systematic solution. At the beginning of design, circular economy should consider and follow the three principles of eliminating waste and pollution, recycling products and materials, and promoting natural regeneration. In order to reach more consensus, in 2021, the Foundation released the framework of "circular economy policy objectives" and formulated five goals. She pointed out that as a mandatory regulation affecting all responsible manufacturers, EPR is an important policy solution to improve the status of post consumer textile recycling.

"As an industry with a highly complex global supply chain, textile and clothing industry should carry out value chain remodeling and business reengineering in three key areas of environmental efficiency, innovation and transformation, and sustainable consumption." Ren Wenwei titled "Changing Fashion, Promoting Green Transformation of the Textile Industry", focusing on the environmental impact of clothing and textile industry, the environmental impact of clothing and textile industry value chain WWF shared WWF's strategies and views on promoting global textile recycling from the three dimensions of transformation and innovation of the global clothing and textile industry. He said that the current green transformation of the textile and clothing industry is imminent, and changing fashion requires positive action and firm leadership in order to achieve green consumption guided by green fashion. In order to achieve sustainable transformation and innovation, WWF has cooperated with the textile and clothing industry on transformation partnership, water management innovation, scientific carbon goals, round tables and initiatives, and achieved remarkable results. In the future, WWF will join hands with the upstream and downstream of the industry chain to fully promote the generation of "product digital passports" in the process of product life-cycle environmental assessment and help the industry to achieve green transformation.

"As a global common goal of sustainable development, carbon neutrality requires a top-down push, the endogenous power of enterprises and the pressure from buyers to work together to promote it." Yue Qingsong, entitled "Opportunities and Challenges for Green and Sustainable Development of the Textile Industry", combined a large number of cases, from the green rules of international trade to the path of carbon neutrality of enterprises The digital implementation path of garment enterprises was shared. He pointed out that under the green trade rules, more and more domestic enterprises have received the requirements from downstream customers to set scientific carbon targets, and are facing certification requirements such as ESG, SBTi, ISO14064, etc. In the future, non-financial information disclosure will be the general trend. Among them, carbon inventory and verification are particularly critical, and carbon information disclosure has become an important part of corporate social responsibility. In view of the pain points of carbon inventory in the textile industry, he suggested that enterprises should first solve their own calculation problems, rely on the Internet of Things technology to achieve automatic generation of carbon footprint reports, and also build enterprise carbon management systems.

This forum is another important activity for the continuous cooperation of circular economy between the Environment and Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of China Textile Federation and the Alan MacArthur Foundation (UK). By sharing successful cases and experiences, it will provide useful reference for more people. With China's innovative practice, it can provide reference and opportunities for other countries and regions to develop textile circular economy.

It is believed that with the active participation and continuous promotion of all parties, this meeting will be taken as an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation and exchanges between governments, associations, relevant institutions, upstream and downstream enterprises and brands in the industrial chain, gather more consensus, constantly promote green and sustainable development of the industry, address global challenges and create a better future.