Anhui Xindengli Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. has built a 100,000-ton T2T (Textile-to-Textile) chemical recycling system in two years since settling in the Jinzhai Modern Industrial Park in Anhui Province in 2023, connecting the entire industrial chain of staple fiber, chip, and filament production lines. According to the company, it currently processes nearly 1,000 tons of waste textiles per month, completed a 30,000-ton continuous production line by the end of 2024, and its products are already supplied to multiple apparel and home textile companies and have obtained RCS international recycled certification.

Key points

  • Xindengli settled in Jinzhai Modern Industrial Park in 2023 and built a 100,000-ton T2T chemical recycling system within two years, covering the entire industrial chain of staple fiber, chips, and filament.
  • By the end of 2024, it completed a 30,000-ton continuous production line, obtained RCS international recycled certification, and signed an overseas market expansion agreement with APSBI, the Spanish Association for Science and Technology Business.
  • According to the company, this process can save 100 tons of water and 5,000 kWh of electricity per ton of product produced, and reduce carbon emissions by 60%–85% compared with virgin material production.

From "rags" to recycled fibers

According to Ye Xiaozhe, general manager of Anhui Xindengli, the company chose the direction of recycling waste clothing because the original intention was "it is really a pity to see fabrics that can still be used become garbage," and it hoped to make "rags" valuable again.

Unlike traditional physical recycling, which downgrades old clothes into rags or fillers, Xindengli's core is T2T chemical recycling. According to the company, this system can process cotton, chemical fibers, and other materials. Through its self-developed BHET alcoholysis method, polyester fibers are decomposed into basic molecules, purified and polymerized to regenerate high-quality chips, and then melt-spun into smooth filaments. The quality of the recycled fibers is comparable to virgin fibers. A pair of denim trousers, after sorting and crushing, enters a reactor and is decomposed into small-molecule substances in a specific chemical solution, ultimately becoming raw material for several T-shirts.

Two numbers in textile circularity

The article reveals the dilemma facing sustainable development in the textile industry: about 10 billion new garments are produced globally each year, of which about 92 million are ultimately landfilled or incinerated; in many regions of China, the recycling rate of waste textiles is less than 20%, far below the 94% recycling rate of waste plastic bottles. Ye Xiaozhe said the company does not add toxic or harmful substances during production and strives to achieve "zero burden" on the regional environment. Overseas, the company has signed a market expansion agreement with APSBI, the Spanish Association for Science and Technology Business, becoming one of the few Chinese recycled fiber suppliers able to enter Europe's high-end market.

Dual benefits for industry and the region

Xindengli's arrival has also brought changes to Jinzhai. According to the article, the "rags" once seen everywhere have decreased, and more recycling trucks are coming and going. A villager engaged in sorting work said a factory that "turns waste into treasure" has appeared at the doorstep, and many people have found jobs there. Ye Xiaozhe said Xindengli does not aim to be the largest company, but only wants to prove that environmental technology can have both commercial and social value.

For the old clothing trade and textile recycling industry, the value of this case lies in this: chemical recycling is turning waste textiles that could previously only be downgraded into recycled raw materials that can enter apparel, home textiles, and even Europe's high-end market, providing a higher-value outlet for the output of the recycling end.

Source: Two years to build a full chain for waste textile regeneration, calculating the "Jinzhai" detailed accounts and nourishing the green Dabie Mountains · Originally published on 2025-08-13