On June 27, the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (UK) Beijing Representative Office jointly released the "Circular Economy Research Report on China's Denim Apparel Industry" in Shanghai. This is the first in-depth domestic research report systematically exploring the feasibility of circular economy for a single category—denim apparel—aiming at the green transformation of the entire industrial chain.

China is the world's largest textile producer and exporter, with fiber processing volume accounting for more than half of the global total and per capita textile consumption of about 22.4 kg/year. However, the recycling rate of waste textiles is below 20%, and the resource waste and pollution problems brought by the linear model are becoming increasingly prominent. Hua Shan, Director of the Industry Department of CNTAC, said at the forum that developing a circular economy is imperative; Cheng Hao, Deputy Director of the Industry Department, pointed out that the most urgent link at present is the resource utilization of post-consumer textiles.

The denim category was chosen as a breakthrough because of its large output, relatively simple fiber composition, wide applicability, and good consumer base, giving it inherent conditions for carrying out circular projects.

Last year, with the support of the Foundation, CNTAC set up a research group and conducted surveys of more than 30 representative enterprises. The results showed that the surveyed enterprises had a high level of awareness of and participation in the circular economy: 64.52% agreed with the concept of "circular denim development," 35.48% had participated in the formulation of relevant national standards, industry standards, or international standards, and the proportion of enterprises that had done technology R&D, product R&D, or investment reached 90.32%.

But the difficulties are equally clear. The recycling stage is scattered and difficult to centralize; some decorative accessories are not easy to remove, affecting disassembly and reuse; fiber separation is difficult, and the degree of separation depends on the purpose of reuse. Survey information also showed that among recycled clothing or textiles, denim accounts for less than 20%.

Cao Zijing, Circular Fashion Project Manager of the Foundation, introduced international experience. In 2019, the Foundation led the formulation of the "Jeans Redesign Guidelines," proposing three principles: wear more, make more, and make from safe, recyclable or renewable materials. Since then, more than 100 supply chain enterprises worldwide have participated in the practice each year, many of them Chinese manufacturers. According to the "Jeans Redesign Insights Report" from 2019 to 2021, more than 500,000 denim garments meeting the guidelines' requirements entered the market.

Corporate-level practice is also advancing. Feng Shanghong, Production Department Manager of Uniqlo, shared water-saving processes and recycled fabric technologies, and introduced the group's goals: to replace 50% of garment fabrics with environmentally friendly recycled fabrics by 2030, while also establishing the RE.UNIQLO clothing rebirth workshop. Shen Junchao, Deputy General Manager of Taihua High-Tech Dyeing and Finishing (Jiaxing) Co., Ltd., introduced recycled nylon technology using discarded fishing nets as raw material, whose PRUECO®OCEAN product can achieve 100% recycling. Guangdong Qianjin Denim Co., Ltd. used this fiber to develop sustainable ocean fiber denim fabric, and Managing Director Wang Zongwen called for "standards to come first." Yang Aimin, Secretary-General of the Foshan Cleaner Production and Low-Carbon Economy Association, shared new technologies such as vertical washing machines, environmentally friendly pumice, waterless softening treatment, and waste denim separation.

The report breaks down the circular path into three major systems: design-production, production-circulation, and product regeneration, and proposes implementation directions such as green design, green material selection, and resource conservation. In terms of policy recommendations, the report puts forward four points: clarify the responsibilities of government departments at all levels and establish a cross-departmental coordination mechanism; implement the extended producer responsibility (EPR) system, extending producer responsibility to post-disposal recycling and treatment; improve the green production standards system, establish product labeling, and disclose information such as fibers, chemicals, carbon footprint, and water footprint; strengthen green product design and increase talent reserves.

Guan Yisong, Chief Representative of the Foundation's Beijing Representative Office, specifically mentioned that the European Commission launched the Sustainable Products Initiative under the Circular Economy Action Plan in March last year, which is bound to affect China's textile exports. For the old clothing and textile industrial chain that relies on exports, the signal given by the report is that the circular transformation of denim is not only an environmental issue, but also preparatory work for trade compliance.

Source: China's First Circular Economy Research Report on the Denim Apparel Industry Released · Originally published on 2023-06-28