In Hong Kong, an innovative factory that recycles textile waste into yarn and then uses the recycled yarn to make garments has now expanded its scale and is being carried out by major brands. Trial production.
The Tai Po factory in the New Territories Manufacturing Center of Hong Kong went into trial operation in September 2018. It is known as the first textile factory to open in Hong Kong in the past half century.
At present, after an initial investment of HK$15 million (equivalent to US$1.9 million), Hong Kong spinning mill Novetex Textiles Limited has expanded its business after two years of development. Increased to 3 production lines, each production line can process 1 ton of wool and cotton fabrics per day.
The so-called “Billie System” is named in memory of Mr. Cao Guangbiao, the founder of Longda. It is known for subverting the rules of the brand and corporate management games, and strives to activate excess inventory, unused of raw materials or textile waste.
Although most recycling processes require large amounts of water and chemicals to clean, disinfect and decolorize the fabric before it is remade into yarn or fiber, But the Billie System developed by the company does not consume water, discharge wastewater or produce chemical waste.
In contrast, the only chemical used in this mechanical recycling system is ozone. By pressurizing oxygen into a compression tank, ozone is generated on-site. Once ozone sterilizes incoming textile waste, it is broken down and released into the atmosphere as oxygen.
This system is jointly developed by Longda and the Hong Kong Research and Development Center for Textile and Apparel (HKRITA). HKRITA serves as the company’s R&D partner. In addition to the Except for manual removal of hard parts such as zippers and buttons, it is almost completely automated. This reduces the level of manpower required and the high labor costs typically associated with textile recycling. The company says the system helps boost productivity.
The textiles will be automatically sorted into different colors once the hard parts are removed. From now on, the fabric is broken down into fibers through a mechanical recycling process, which undergoes a two-stage UV light sterilization before being formed into slender strips.
The regenerated fiber is prepared in the form of strips and then sent to Longda Textile’s factory in Zhuhai for spinning.
Ronna Chao, President of Longda Textile Group, explained: The geographical proximity of Zhuhai and Hong Kong helps reduce the cost of transporting recycled fibers to distant areas for the spinning process. Carbon Footprint.
One of the disadvantages of mechanical recycling is that the fibers shorten and become damaged during the shredding process. Therefore, in order to ensure the highest quality yarn for garment production, Longda Textile’s factory in Zhuhai mixes and interweaves virgin fibers and recycled fibers.
Many Longda brand customers are already trying out the system.
President Cao added: The launch of BillieSystem is just the next step in the previous series of innovative technologies. Sustainable development is not a trend, but a necessary task. By providing effective practices for reference for companies and brands, we can not only solve current problems, but also solve global problems.
According to the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (HongKong Environmental Protection Department), 343 tons of textile waste are sent to landfills in Hong Kong every day, equivalent to about 70 Thousands of sweaters. After mainland China implemented a waste import ban in January 2018, the textile waste problem has further worsened.
Last year, HKRITA CEO Edwin Keh told the British media: We hope that the factory can operate on an industrial scale. If we can set up a factory in a crowded city like Hong Kong, we will immediately If the problem of recycling can be solved locally, then no municipal government in the world will have an excuse not to do it.
President Cao said that the next step is to “improve our production efficiency and technology, and strive to create a circular economy in the textile industry to create a more meaningful impact.” force”.
BillieSystem offers a solution that only solves part of the larger problem of textile waste. We believe this program can be the beginning of many initiatives and innovative concepts that are about to change industry standards for the better.
Longda Textile has business locations in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Asia. It has implemented sustainable practices in the group’s vertically integrated operating facilities while adhering to International standards, including Global Recycled Standard, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Responsible Wool Standard.
Billie System has been recognized at global innovation awards, winning a Gold Medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva and a 2019 Hong Kong Green Innovation Award (HKGIA). ) won the Bronze Medal Award.
