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 on March 31, 2022, setting clear targets: by 2025, the recycling rate of waste textiles should reach 25% and regenerated fiber output should reach 2 million tons; by 2030, the recycling rate should rise to 30% and regenerated fiber output should reach 3 million tons, with a relatively complete recycling system in place. This is another important policy document on whole-chain management of waste textiles in China.

Key Points

  • 2025 targets: 25% recycling rate, 2 million tons of regenerated fiber output; 2030 targets: 30% recycling rate, 3 million tons of regenerated fiber output.
  • Key breakthrough targets are uniform clothing such as decommissioned military uniforms, police uniforms, and school uniforms, with enterprises organized to carry out recycling pilots.
  • The policy covers the recycling network, regulation of second-hand clothing trading and export, the regeneration industry, standards systems, and fiscal, tax, and financial support.

Recycling System: Into Communities, Into Campuses, Broadening Channels

The Opinions propose improving the recycling network by promoting dedicated waste textile recycling bins in communities, government agencies, shopping malls, and campuses, encouraging recycling enterprises to expand into third- and fourth-tier cities and below, and exploring recycling models suited to rural conditions. At the same time, sorting centers and resource utilization classification and processing centers should be rationally laid out. In terms of recycling channels, actively develop Internet Plus recycling, explore new models such as one-bag door-to-door recycling and campus collection during graduation season, cultivate leading recycling enterprises, and establish a key contact enterprise system. Recycling practices will also be regulated; illegal landfill and incineration of waste textiles will be handled according to law, and cases suspected of crimes will be transferred to public security organs.

Reuse and Export: Second-Hand Clothing Trading Advances in an Orderly Manner, Export Must Be Declared According to Law

The Opinions clearly state that second-hand clothing trading should be promoted in an orderly manner according to the principles of economical economy and green low-carbon development, that cleaning and disinfection standards and technical specifications for second-hand clothing should be formulated and revised, that health and epidemic prevention supervision should be strengthened, and that practices such as counterfeiting and passing off inferior goods as superior should be cracked down on. For second-hand clothing exports, enterprises are required to truthfully declare to customs in accordance with law and ensure that cleaning, disinfection, and other requirements of importing countries (regions) are met. At the same time, enterprises and residents are encouraged to donate suitable second-hand clothing to people in difficulty through charitable organizations in accordance with law.

Regeneration: Expanding Scale While Pursuing High Value-Added Development

In terms of regeneration, the Opinions propose strengthening the textile industry's recycling of waste textiles, promoting the application of recycled products in fields such as building materials, automotive interiors and exteriors, agriculture, and environmental governance, while conducting fuel-based utilization in a regulated manner for materials that cannot be regenerated. Support enterprises in developing high value-added products, encourage utilization enterprises to connect with recycling enterprises and extend the industrial chain, and cultivate leading enterprises through mergers and acquisitions.

Key Breakthrough: Uniform Clothing First

Waste uniforms such as military uniforms, police uniforms, and school uniforms are listed as a breakthrough point for recycling. The Opinions require selecting key fields and regions, organizing capable enterprises to carry out pilots for recycling waste uniform clothing, optimizing technical pathways and market mechanisms for centralized recycling, and improving the recycling rate of uniforms for departments with unified attire, industry uniforms and workwear, and school uniforms.

Green Production and Standards Guarantee

The Opinions encourage textile enterprises to carry out green design, improve the ease of disassembly, classification, and recycling of textiles, formulate material classification guidelines, and set visual labels or machine-readable radio frequency identification tags. Encourage the use of green fibers, increase the proportion of regenerated fibers used as substitutes, and advance the research, development, and production of bio-based fibers in an orderly manner. At the same time, strengthen producers' social responsibility and implement the China Social Compliance 9000 for Textile & Apparel Industry (CSC9000T). In terms of support and safeguards, a series of standards for recycling, disinfection, sorting, and comprehensive utilization will be improved, documents such as the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Fiber Product Quality will be revised, the implementation of the Normative Conditions for the Recycled Chemical Fiber (Polyester) Industry will be promoted, and key technologies will be included in the National Key R&D Program. In terms of policy support, implement preferential tax policies for comprehensive resource utilization, provide credit products and services, and support eligible recycling enterprises in issuing green bonds.

The introduction of these Opinions provides a clear policy framework and target guidance for the entire industrial chain of waste textile recycling, sorting, trading, and regeneration, and sets specific requirements especially for standardizing second-hand clothing exports, piloting uniform clothing recycling, and increasing regenerated fiber capacity. It will drive the industry from a small, scattered model toward clustering and standardization, and for the first time sets compliance requirements at the national level for second-hand clothing trading and export.

Source: Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Recycling of Waste Textiles_National-Level Policies_Yunnan Provincial People's Government Portal · Originally published on 2022-04-12