The National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments, issued the "Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Recycling of Waste Textiles" (NDRC Resources and Environment [2022] No. 526), setting national-level targets for waste textile recycling for the first time. Zhao Kai, Executive Vice President of the China Circular Economy Association, provided expert interpretation of the document.

Key points

  • In 2020, China generated about 22 million tons of waste textiles, with a recycling rate of about 20% and recycled fiber output of about 1.5 million tons.
  • The Implementation Opinions set targets: by 2025, a recycling rate of 25% and recycled fiber output of 2 million tons; by 2030, 30% and 3 million tons respectively.
  • The document uses uniforms such as old military, police, and school uniforms as a breakthrough point for recycling, a measure with Chinese characteristics.

Current situation and targets
China processes more than half of the world's textile fibers, making it a true textile giant. As clothing replacement cycles shorten, the volume of waste textiles continues to rise: about 22 million tons generated in 2020, with a recycling rate of only about 20% and recycled fiber output of about 1.5 million tons, leaving obvious room for improvement.

The Implementation Opinions set targets in two steps: by 2025, initially establish a recycling system, with a recycling rate of 25% and recycled fiber output of 2 million tons; by 2030, the system will be relatively complete, with a recycling rate of 30% and recycled fiber output of 3 million tons.

Efforts across production, collection, and utilization
Zhao Kai noted that there are many bottlenecks in each link from collection, circulation, and sorting to comprehensive utilization, requiring a whole-life-cycle approach.

On the production side, three tasks are proposed: promote green textile design to improve ease of disassembly, sorting, and recycling; encourage priority use of green fiber raw materials and strengthen green product standards, certification, and labeling systems; and implement the China Social Compliance 9000 for Textile & Apparel Industry (CSC9000T).

On the collection side, requirements include improving the collection network, broadening collection channels, and strengthening collection management, including reasonably setting up dedicated collection bins, promoting bins in communities, government offices, shopping malls, and campuses, and establishing sorting centers and resource utilization classification centers; using Internet Plus recycling and domestic waste sorting to collect waste textiles; and encouraging industry associations and enterprises to build information platforms that integrate information on sources, quantities, and utilization destinations.

On the comprehensive utilization side, arrangements include standardizing reuse, promoting the recycled utilization industry, and implementing a key breakthrough in uniforms. The document clarifies reuse requirements for the first time: orderly promote second-hand clothing transactions, revise and formulate standards for cleaning, disinfection, sanitation and epidemic prevention, and market transactions of second-hand clothing, guide the standardization of second-hand clothing exports, and ensure compliance with the requirements of importing countries (regions). At the same time, expand the scale of recycled utilization, promote recycled products in textiles, building materials, automobiles, agriculture, environmental protection, and other fields, and cultivate leading enterprises with industry chain leadership.

Standards and technological support
At present, relevant national standards remain fragmented. For example, the "Technical Specification for Recycling of Waste Textiles" (GB/T 39781-2021) has been issued but is not yet systematic. The document calls for improving a series of standards for collection, disinfection, sorting, and comprehensive utilization, and establishing a sound standards system. On technology, key technologies for waste textile recycling will be included in national key R&D plans to break through bottlenecks such as fiber identification, efficient sorting, separation of blended materials, and recycled utilization; the "Clean Regeneration and High-Value Utilization Technology Project for Waste Textiles" has been included in the Ministry of Science and Technology's 2020 key special project on "Solid Waste Resource Utilization."

Public participation
The document proposes strengthening publicity and guidance, encouraging Party and government organs and public institutions such as schools and hospitals to use recycled waste textile products, carrying out educational and practical activities on campuses and in communities, and advocating a simple, moderate, green, and low-carbon lifestyle.

For China's second-hand clothing industry, this document provides a quantitative roadmap at the national level for the first time and sends policy signals on second-hand clothing transactions, export standardization, and uniform pilot programs. Enterprises engaged in collection, sorting, export, and recycled utilization will face clearer compliance requirements and more considerable market space.

Source: Expert interpretation of the "Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Recycling of Waste Textiles" | Accelerating the construction of a waste textile recycling system …_The Paper·Government Affairs_The Paper · Originally published on 2022-04-12