Since 2018, Yinchuan has placed blue smart old clothing recycling bins in 1,100 residential communities, operated and managed by Yinchuan Wujinqiyong Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. The company collects once every 7 to 10 days, recycling an average of 60 to 150 tons of old clothing per month, with larger volumes during spring and autumn seasonal changes and smaller volumes in summer. After sorting, items are divided into 19 categories based on condition, fiber composition, and color, including sweaters, down, large white, second white, black material, silk floss, and miscellaneous. Items in better condition are cleaned and disinfected before being donated to places like Xiji or special education institutions for specific groups, while most of the rest are sent to out-of-town enterprises for export or reuse.

Key Points

  • Since 2018, Yinchuan has placed blue old clothing recycling bins in 1,100 communities, with the operator collecting 60 to 150 tons monthly.
  • Han Li, a storage organizer at Ningxia Xiyue Aesthetic Image Management Co., Ltd., points out that the increase in old clothing is related to factors such as body changes, irrational shopping, outdated styles, and damaged or faded garments.
  • The Yinchuan Waste Classification Office's public account offers "one-click recycling," with door-to-door pickup for old clothing over 20 kg at 0.3 yuan per kg; appointment phone: 0951-3853303.

Citizens' Old Clothing Woes and Export Concerns

Whenever seasons change or people move, many Yinchuan residents face the problem of disposing of old clothing: it takes up space at home, it's a waste to throw in the trash, and they can't find channels to donate. Some put bags of old clothes into community recycling bins, some wash them and give them to relatives in their hometowns, and others ask scavengers to take them, but the latter are picky and offer low prices. In interviews, most citizens said they were unclear about the final destination of old clothes in the recycling bins, and some residents in communities without bins choose to throw them directly in the trash or pile them up at home.

After Sorting: Three Paths of Donation, Export, and Recycling

Clothing in good condition that doesn't pill or lose shape is cleaned and disinfected for donation; down jackets and cotton coats have higher resale value for secondary use. Materials like cotton, cotton-linen, polyester, and acrylic can be processed into insulation materials for agricultural greenhouses, building materials, and filling materials; silk floss and white clothing can be reused in textile production; cotton fabrics can be crushed into recycled cotton for labor protection products like cotton gloves and bags; high-quality old jeans and denim can be made into automotive soundproof cotton. Heavily soiled clothing also has zippers, buttons, and metal accessories separated and recycled, with the fabric used for mops or construction materials.

Zou Ruohong of Yinchuan Zewei Recycling Co., Ltd. accepts door-to-door recycling appointments through platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou, WeChat, and 58.com, conservatively recycling about 50 tons of old clothing per month. After sorting, newer, better-quality summer clothes are given to companies in coastal cities with legal processing capabilities for export to Africa and Southeast Asia, while most of the rest are sold to downstream factories for recycling into felt, carpets, greenhouse quilts, etc. Li Shangwei, head of Yinchuan Xixia District Deyun Cotton Mill, said that old clothing waste is crushed and pressed into felt, processed into greenhouse cotton quilts or construction insulation rock wool, with the factory consuming over 2,000 tons per year. He started in this industry in 2018 and feels that competitive pressure has increased in recent years.

Online Recycling and Second-Hand Trading Clearly Diverting Flows

Online channels are equally active. Alipay's White Whale Old Clothes Recycling and Flying Ant Old Clothes Recycling have opened door-to-door recycling services in Ningxia, and WeChat mini-programs include Green Bee Old Clothes Recycling, etc., charging 3 to 12 yuan for 5 to 20 kg of old clothes, with recycling uses labeled as environmental recycling, charitable aid, and old clothing export. Xianyu also offers door-to-door recycling, where completed orders can be exchanged for gifts or participate in donations and tree planting. Zhang Xin, who joined Paper Shell Man Recycling in 2020, set up a station in Yinchuan serving the three districts of Yinchuan, recycling over a thousand tons of old clothes annually. Some communities mobilize residents through old clothes exchange for points or laundry detergent, or use upcycled crafts like denim bags for charity sales. Some citizens also directly resell better-conditioned clothes on Taobao and Xianyu, or take ill-fitting clothes to tailors for alterations to extend their lifespan.

Industry Insights

Old clothing recycling in Yinchuan has formed a chain from recycling bins and door-to-door appointments to sorting, export, and recycling processing, but citizens' awareness of the post-recycling flow remains limited. With increasing competition, enterprises with stable sorting capabilities, legal export channels, and downstream recycling processing destinations are more likely to secure a position in the resource utilization of old clothing.

Source: People's Livelihood Focus | Old Item Recycling Series ① Where Do Your Unwanted Old Clothes Go? · Originally published on 2023-05-11