In 2021, China's waste textile collection volume was about 5 million tonnes, with a recycling value of 2.48 billion yuan, up 13.24% year on year; in the same year, it exported 440,000 tonnes of waste textiles, up 10% year on year, with the main destinations being Kenya, Angola and Tanzania, accounting for 14.73%, 13.11% and 10.46% respectively. At the global level, waste textile collection reached 21.65 million tonnes in 2021, up 6.13% year on year, and the recycling value rose to US$2.098 billion.

Key points

  • In 2021, China's waste textile collection volume was about 5 million tonnes, with a recycling value of 2.48 billion yuan, up 13.24% year on year.
  • In 2021, China exported 440,000 tonnes of waste textiles and imported only 5,000 tonnes; Kenya was the largest export destination (14.73%).
  • Policy targets: by 2025, the recycling rate of waste textiles should reach 25% and recycled fibre output 2 million tonnes; by 2030, 30% and 3 million tonnes respectively.

Global recycling scale and value are rising in tandem

Since the 1980s, waste textiles have re-entered the view of developed countries in the textile industry. With improvements in the manufacturing level of supporting equipment such as cutting machines and opening machines, the range of recyclable and reusable categories has continued to expand. Global collection volume climbed from its starting point in 2015 to 21.65 million tonnes in 2021, while recycling value increased from US$1.023 billion to US$2.098 billion, a compound annual growth rate of 12.72% over the period.

China: utilisation growing steadily, imports shrinking, exports expanding

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of textiles and apparel, and generates a huge amount of waste textiles. Domestic utilisation rose from 2.852 million tonnes in 2016 to 4.565 million tonnes in 2021, a compound annual growth rate of 9.86%. In fact, as early as the 1990s, China already had practices of reprocessing waste clothing fabrics into recycled fibres, and independently designed multifunctional cutting and opening equipment.

The trade side shows clear divergence. In 2021, imports were only 5,000 tonnes, down 16.67% year on year, mainly from India (37.7%) and Uzbekistan (30.17%); exports rose overall, reaching 440,000 tonnes in 2021. Flows are highly concentrated in the African market, with Kenya, Angola and Tanzania together accounting for nearly 40%, while no other single region accounted for more than 10%.

Policy sets out a timetable

The Implementation Opinions on the Recycling of Waste Textiles issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments put forward phased targets: by 2025, a preliminary recycling system should be established, with a recycling rate of 25% and recycled fibre output of 2 million tonnes; by 2030, the system should be relatively complete, with the recycling rate raised to 30% and recycled fibre output reaching 3 million tonnes. Against the backdrop of dual carbon goals, this arrangement is seen as direct guidance for the green recycling of industrial textiles.

Industry recommendations

Centred on the principles of reduction, harmlessness and resource recovery, industry players recommend advancing on multiple fronts: increase publicity so the public understands the hazards of casually discarding waste textiles and the uses of recycled materials; the government should do good top-level design, introduce an extended producer responsibility system so textile manufacturers participate in the treatment and regeneration of waste textiles, and support enterprises with comprehensive utilisation technologies and mature business models; build a recycling logistics chain network platform to achieve information sharing and coordination among logistics enterprises and comprehensive utilisation enterprises; draw on the experience of the green fibre certification system to establish third-party recycling certification, carbon emission certification, and product performance and ecological safety evaluation systems, while setting industry thresholds, formulating quality standards, raw material specifications, production equipment and cleaner production standards, and phasing out outdated capacity.

The significance of these data and institutional arrangements for the used clothing trade chain lies in this: China is both a net exporter of waste textiles and an expander of recycling capacity, and how to balance the high concentration of export destinations with domestic recycling rate targets will directly affect the supply structure and price trends of Africa's second-hand clothing market (mitumba).

Source: Practical! Understanding the development trends of the waste textile industry in one article: the recycling rate of waste textiles should be raised as soon as possible · Originally published on 2019-01-16