The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued the Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Recycling of Waste Textiles, setting clear targets: by 2025, the recycling rate of waste textiles should reach 25% and recycled fiber output should reach 2 million tons; by 2030, the recycling rate should reach 30% and recycled fiber output should reach 3 million tons, with a relatively complete recycling system in place. Sun Huaibin, vice president of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, said the opinions play an important role in improving resource utilization efficiency in the textile industry, promoting ecological civilization, and supporting the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. Nine specific measures will be introduced across three areas—production, recycling, and comprehensive utilization—to clear bottlenecks in recycling, trading and circulation, fine sorting, and comprehensive utilization.

Key points

  • 2025 targets: 25% recycling rate, 2 million tons of recycled fiber output; 2030 targets: 30% recycling rate, 3 million tons of recycled fiber output.
  • China's total annual fiber consumption is about 30 million tons, with per capita fiber consumption of about 22.4 kg, but recycled fiber raw materials are currently mainly PET bottle flakes and industrial textile waste, with relatively little old clothing fabric.
  • During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, 34 recycled polyester producers passed the MIIT industry standard conditions review, forming several typical industrial clusters.

The Implementation Opinions were jointly issued by the three ministries to accelerate the building of a resource-recycling industrial system and a waste materials recycling system. The opinions set two phased goals: by 2025, a preliminary recycling system will be established and recycling capacity will be greatly improved; by 2030, the system will be relatively complete, producers' and consumers' awareness of recycling will be significantly raised, high-value utilization pathways will continue to expand, and the level of industrial development will be notably enhanced.

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of textiles and apparel, with total annual fiber consumption of about 30 million tons and per capita fiber consumption of about 22.4 kg. Sun Huaibin noted that constrained by factors such as the recycling system, sorting methods, technology, and standards, China's overall efficiency in recycling waste textiles is currently relatively low. As the global fashion industry's goal of achieving replacement with recycled materials before 2030 becomes clear, demand for recycled fiber raw materials will grow rapidly in the future, making it urgent to improve the recycling rate and recycled fiber output.

The opinions specify nine concrete measures in three areas—production, recycling, and comprehensive utilization—including promoting green textile design, encouraging the use of green fibers, improving the recycling network, and promoting the development of the regeneration industry, while emphasizing stronger support in standards and specifications, scientific and technological innovation, and policy support.

Sun Huaibin believes the opinions point the way for building a resource-recycling system in the textile industry: first, advance green and low-carbon production in the textile industry, encourage enterprises to carry out green design, formulate guidelines for classifying textile materials, and improve sorting efficiency and accuracy; second, encourage priority use of green fiber raw materials, strengthen the construction of green product standards, certification, and labeling systems, and guide brand enterprises to use recycled fibers and their products; third, strengthen the social responsibility of textile producers and encourage enterprises to implement the China Textile and Apparel Corporate Social Responsibility Management System (CSC9000T).

In terms of industrial progress, during the 13th Five-Year Plan period the industrial structure continued to optimize, and the scale and standardization of enterprises generally improved. Thirty-four recycled polyester producers passed the MIIT industry standard conditions review. But Sun Huaibin also pointed out that the industrial chain and value chain are still incomplete, sorting is mainly based on traditional manual identification, and mid- to high-end complete equipment basically depends on imports.

To this end, the opinions outline the next path for resource utilization and high-value utilization: promote the high-value development of recycled products and support the R&D and production of high value-added products; promote the application of recycled products in fields such as building materials, automotive interiors and exteriors, agriculture, and environmental governance, and carry out fuel-based utilization in a regulated way for those that cannot be recycled; implement key breakthroughs in uniform clothing by selecting key fields and regions to organize pilot recycling of waste uniform clothing, optimize technical pathways and market mechanisms, and improve the recycling rate of uniforms, industry workwear, and school uniforms in departments and industries with unified dress codes.

Sun Huaibin said the China National Textile and Apparel Council will cooperate with relevant departments to recommend catalogs of advanced processes, technologies, and equipment, strengthen the industrial transformation of recycled polyester staple fiber, filament meltblown, and regenerated cellulose fiber technologies, and improve the level of high-value utilization.

Source: Three ministries issue document to build system—accelerating waste textile recycling_Central Important News_Today's Important News_Government Affairs News_Hetian Municipal People's Government Website · Originally published 2022-04-20