BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition in Hong Kong (22 - 24 May 2017)

Textiles Division:

Monday, 22 May 2017 at 15.30

"Overview of the Chinese market of textile collection, sorting and recycling”

Luo Hong Jian, Manager of Sheng Dong Hua (China) will present an overview of the situation of the Textile collection, sorting and recycling in China.

China’s exports of used textiles have rapidly expanded.  Within just a few years of entering the market the country has risen to become the 5th largest exporter of used clothing in the world and they are set to become the dominant exporter in the future.

How will that affect global markets for our products and where will the expected influx of used textiles/clothing be sent in the future if this floods existing markets?

Mr Luo Hong Jian will seek to provide an overview of what will happen to Chinese exports and on measures being developed to facilitate sorting processes and develop new recycling markets.

"International overview of R&D projects to develop new markets and applications for the textile recycling industry"​

Alain Claudot, Director General of Eco TLC (France) will provide an international overview of the R&D projects that Eco Tlc have funded to develop much needed new markets and applications for the textile recycling industry.  If successful these should help us to resolve the looming problems of over-supply in the global markets.

With the global markets for used textiles set to become more crowded and the drive to improve the circularity of the global clothing and textile supply chain, it is vital that new markets for recycled textiles are established as quickly as possible, but how is the research required to achieve this going to be funded. 

How do encourage manufacturers and retailers that put new products onto the market in the first place to take responsibility for the environmental and social impacts their products cause and how do we ensure that these products are collected and processed in an appropriate way when they are no longer wanted by their owner?

Despite the fact that the textile and fashion industry accounts for around 10% of the entire global economy and between 5 and 10% of the world’s carbon impacts, to date, France is the only country in the world that has introduced Extended Producer Responsibility in this field.