Statistics from the China Association of Resource Comprehensive Utilization show that by 2030, the number of discarded old clothes in China is expected to rise to 50 million tons per year, with an average of 16 pieces of old clothing discarded per person annually. Yang Yinghong, secretary-general of the Clothing Extension Working Committee of the China Secondhand Goods Association, introduced that about 35% of collected clothes can be resold, with an economic value of 15 billion to 18 billion yuan, of which summer clothing accounts for about 15% and autumn/winter clothing about 20%. If calculated at a resale price of 5,000 yuan/ton, 10 million tons of old clothes resold would generate annual sales of 50 billion yuan. Industry insiders are calling for accelerating the circular utilization of waste textiles and standardizing the order of old clothing circulation.

Key points

  • China Association of Resource Comprehensive Utilization forecast: by 2030, discarded old clothes will reach 50 million tons annually, with 16 pieces discarded per person per year
  • Yang Yinghong: about 35% of collected old clothes can be resold, with an economic value of 15 billion to 18 billion yuan
  • The Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Circular Utilization of Waste Textiles issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and two other departments proposed: a recycling rate of 25% and recycled fiber output of 2 million tons by 2025, and a recycling rate of 30% and recycled fiber output of 3 million tons by 2030

One piece of old cloth, two destinies

Clothing today is mostly made from cotton, linen, chemical fibers, and other fabrics. Cotton and linen can degrade in the natural environment, while chemical fibers are difficult to degrade—nylon, for example, takes 30 to 40 years to naturally degrade and releases large amounts of greenhouse gases and harmful gases in the process. If incinerated or landfilled, it not only occupies resources but also easily causes secondary pollution. However, if it enters the circular utilization channel, each kilogram of waste textiles can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.6 kilograms, save 6,000 liters of water, and reduce the use of 0.3 kilograms of chemical fertilizer and 0.2 kilograms of pesticides. According to estimates by the China National Textile and Apparel Council, if all waste textiles in China were recycled, it would be equivalent to saving 24 million tons of crude oil annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 80 million tons, and saving nearly one-third of the cotton planting area. In addition to being worn again, old clothes after processing can also be transformed into interior materials for automobiles or building materials, stuffing for plush toys, raw materials for papermaking, as well as products such as rags, slippers, and insoles. Relevant experts say that building "zero-waste cities" has become the goal of more and more cities, and the comprehensive utilization of waste textiles will play an important role in the process of reduction and resource recovery.

Where do old clothes go

Relevant government departments have continued to advocate old clothing recycling in recent years, and a large number of recycling companies have emerged in the market. Their sources are mainly urban residents, with collection mainly at low cost or free of charge, and the terminal destinations are donation, export, and resource reuse. The Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Circular Utilization of Waste Textiles, jointly issued in 2022 by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, set two phase targets: by 2025, the recycling rate of waste textiles will reach 25%, and recycled fiber output will reach 2 million tons; by 2030, the recycling rate will reach 30%, and recycled fiber output will reach 3 million tons.

Yan Miao, deputy secretary-general of the China Secondhand Goods Association, told reporters that there are currently two main recycling paths, online and offline: online, residents contact recyclers through apps, and the recyclers entrust express logistics to pick up the items door-to-door and then send them to designated enterprises; offline, the main method is placing recycling bins in government offices, schools, communities, and other locations. After recycling, old clothes overall flow in three directions: renewable resources, export, and domestic circulation—spring, autumn, and winter clothing in relatively good condition, as well as branded and fashionable old clothes, circulate more domestically, while ordinary summer clothing, winter clothing, shoes and bags, home textiles, and bedding are basically exported, with the largest export volume to Africa, followed by Southeast Asia and South America, and some entering South Asia and the Middle East; those no longer suitable to wear enter the renewable resources sector and are processed by physical or chemical methods to achieve resource utilization.

Guo Song, executive director of Guangzhou Geruizhe Co., Ltd., a renewable resources company, introduced that every piece of old clothing entering the company is properly handled, and clothes that no longer have normal wearing functions also have a wide range of uses. The back-end industry can restore them by material into raw materials for making new clothing, or process them into industrial products such as automotive soundproof cotton, building materials, and boards, or make them into insulation quilts for vegetable greenhouses for green, low-carbon agriculture.

Where are the pain points

Compared with foreign countries, domestic circulation of old clothes has not yet received sufficient attention. Yang Yinghong said that secondary sales of old clothes in China have not yet formed a large-scale market and mainly rely on small stores, street stalls, or online channels, with operators mostly self-employed and varieties concentrated in spring, autumn, and winter clothing and branded fashion clothing. Under pressure from small workshops, the industry faces the risk of "bad money driving out good money." Guo Song pointed out that the threshold for the waste textile industry is relatively low and there are few formal enterprises; small workshops lower costs by reducing investment in standardized sites, avoiding labor health protection responsibilities, and evading taxes and fees, and even participate in vicious competition by passing off inferior goods as good ones. This not only brings safety hazards, environmental pollution, and tax losses, but also, because it is too dispersed, is not conducive to intensive operations and effective supervision.

In response to these bottlenecks, the Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Circular Utilization of Waste Textiles identified nine specific measures in three aspects: production, recycling, and comprehensive utilization: promoting green design of textiles, encouraging the use of green fibers, strengthening producers' social responsibility, improving the recycling network, broadening recycling channels, strengthening recycling management, standardizing reuse, promoting the development of the recycled utilization industry, and implementing key breakthroughs in uniform clothing. It also proposed opening up key links such as recycling, trading circulation, fine sorting, and comprehensive utilization, and strengthening safeguards in standards and specifications, scientific and technological innovation, and policy support.

Yang Yinghong introduced that in order to promote the standardized circulation of secondhand clothing, the Clothing Extension Working Committee of the China Secondhand Goods Association proposed the "Pilot Plan for Establishing Green and Low-Carbon Lifestyle Experience Stores for Secondhand Textile and Apparel" and the "Technical Specifications for the Circulation of Secondhand Textile and Apparel," attempting to provide a standardized and operable basis for business conduct. Industry insiders are calling for stronger publicity, raising public awareness of old clothing recycling and secondary sales, and suggest that relevant departments issue guidance, clarify the responsibilities of all parties, establish a traceability or labeling system, support leading and backbone enterprises, and form a sound and orderly commercial circulation model. (Economic Daily)

Source: How can the old clothing recycling industry become healthier and more standardized_Reform Network · Originally published on 2023-08-22