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T2T Revolution: China'S Textile Industry "Weaves" Into A New Picture Of Closed-Loop Economy

2025/5/8 13:06:00 112

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　　 A few years ago, when people talked about the circular economy of the textile industry, most of what came to mind were recycled textiles made from waste bottles. Today, Chinese textile enterprises are taking technology as the key to extend the tentacles of circular economy to the ultimate closed-loop of "Textile to Textile, T2T".

　　 At the 2025 Yarnexfo Spring/Summer Yarn Exhibition, Zhejiang Beauty New Materials launched ECOSO, an innovative T2T (textile to textile) product that can be dyed at low temperature; Then Yongrong signed a contract with its partners, which will promote the complete closed-loop of its post consumer recycled fiber Aisailun from research and development to market application; After that, Siliya held the commissioning ceremony of T2T waste textile recycling pilot production line, and Xinxiang Chemical Fiber's 1000 ton/year DT solvent regenerated cellulose fiber (Rosell) project was put into operation

　　 Since this year, a series of release activities and contract signing activities in the field of waste textile recycling have come one after another, competing to show the latest scientific and technological achievements in waste textile recycling and recycling in China. The reporter of Textile and Garment Weekly thoroughly combed these remarkable achievements to comprehensively show the firm steps and achievements of the textile industry on the road of scientific and technological progress and green development.

　　 Technology breaks the wall, and molecular reconstruction from "waste" to "new material"

　　 T2T closed-loop recycling system is a systematic solution to realize the recycling of waste textiles in the textile industry chain through technical means. Its core is to break the traditional linear mode of "raw materials production consumption waste" and form a closed-loop resource efficient utilization. Among them, the decomposition technology of waste textiles is very important, which can be called "molecular scalpel", laying the foundation for the "homology and homogeneity" of the properties of regenerated fibers and original materials.

　　 Zhejiang Jiaren New Material Co., Ltd., at the beginning of its establishment in 2012, led the industry in proposing T2T The circular economy model has been committed to exploring the field of recycled fibers for more than 10 years. The world's leading chemical recycling technology has not only successfully overcome the problem of "harmless disposal and high-value utilization" of waste textiles, but also set a new example of the whole industry chain from "textiles to textiles closed cycle (T2T)" for the industry with a traceable recycling system. At present, the company can handle more than 40000 tons of waste textiles and produce 30000 tons of recycled products every year. In addition, the company's 150000 t/a green renewable new material project has been settled in Keqiao District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. It is estimated that the project will be put into trial production in May 2025 and will achieve an annual output of 500000 t/a renewable products by 2030.

Display of recycled polyester products with new materials of Beauty

　　 Dr. Yu Wenguang, the Innovation Research Institute of Zhejiang Jiaren New Materials Co., Ltd., introduced that at present, the molecular level depolymerization regeneration technology of polyester textiles newly developed by Jiaren New Materials can achieve 99.9% infinite circulation of purity, overcome the problem of impurity separation and color removal of waste polyester textiles, and the performance of regenerated fibers reaches the primary standard. In March this year, Jaren New Material released ECOSO fiber produced by "molecular segment modification" technology. Through the introduction of the third monomer - hydrophilic group in the polymerization process, the fiber can effectively absorb small dye molecules, improve the dyeing efficiency and fundamentally realize low-temperature dyeing. In addition, this hydrophilic group effectively improves the hydrophobic properties of traditional polyester, giving the fabric moisture absorption and quick drying function. At the same time, Zhejiang Jaren and Zhengkai have established a joint R&D and production base for chemical recycled polyester staple fiber, and actively developed a series of yarn and fabric products with T2T chemical recycled polyester staple fiber as raw material, breaking through the application boundary of recycled staple fiber.

Xinxiang Chemical Fiber Rosell Fiber Production Line

　　 Xinxiang Chemical Fiber Co., Ltd. and relevant colleges and universities, through continuous exploration and research, use the new green cellulose solvent system - DT composite solvent system to achieve complete dissolution of cellulose under mild conditions, and establish a new recycling system based on the dissolution system, successfully preparing a new type of regenerated cellulose fiber - Russell fiber. On April 18, Xinxiang Chemical Fiber 1000 ton DT solvent regenerated cellulose fiber (Riser) project was officially put into production. Xie Yueting, chief engineer of Xinxiang Chemical Fiber and president of Bailu New Materials Research Institute, introduced that the project has passed the independent DT The green composite solvent system can flexibly dissolve waste cotton textiles at room temperature, completely subverting the process of high temperature dissolution and high pressure transportation of traditional solvent system, and the solvent recovery rate is up to more than 99%, truly building a closed-loop system of "recovery processing consumption recycling".

　　 Yibin Siliya Group has also made great achievements in the research and development of recycled dissolving pulp. On April 7, Siliya announced that its first waste textile recycling dissolving pulp factory in China was officially put into operation, and launched the T2T waste textile recycling pilot production line, realizing the high-value recycling of waste textile in the whole industrial chain. The production line will integrate the post industrial and post consumer textile wastes of supply chain partners to produce high-quality, low-carbon dissolving pulp for manufacturing a variety of man-made cellulose fiber products. The initial annual capacity of the factory is 1500 tons, which can meet the urgent demand of the fashion industry for low-carbon recycled materials to replace the traditional forest fiber raw materials with high carbon footprint. In recent years, Siliya Group has continuously improved the classified recycling of waste textile raw materials, chemical cleaning pulping and promotion channels of recycled products, formed an integrated circular economic manufacturing model of waste textile pulping, recycled fiber and yarn, and developed a high-strength super flexible recycled cellulose fiber Isaer.

　　 Restructuring the system and building a circular closed loop through the whole industrial chain

　　 The decomposition technology of waste textiles is very important, but the construction of T2T full industrial chain cycle closed-loop system is more important. As a leading enterprise in the nylon industry, Fujian Yongrong Jinjiang Co., Ltd. overcame the core technical barriers and developed the post consumer renewable nylon - Aisailun E-SUNLON ?。 The products take the waste textiles consumed by consumers as raw materials, through classified recycling, pretreatment, chemical and physical treatment and other processes, combined with various technologies such as "high-temperature and high-pressure component separation, environmental decolorization, multiple deep layer fine filtration, low-temperature melting technology", to achieve a breakthrough in high precision technology of renewable materials, Form a "green closed loop" from waste textiles - regenerated chips - regenerated fibers - textile products. On March 13 this year, Evergreen and RADICI GROUP held a signing ceremony on long-term strategic cooperation in the field of post consumer regeneration. Relying on the world leading high-performance polymer technology of Landich Group, Yongrong Jinjiang will realize E-SUNLON ? A complete closed loop from the research and development to the market application of the recycled fiber after consumption of Aisailun.

　　 Xinxiang Chemical Fiber, together with the Chinese hotel giant - Jinjiang Global Innovation Center and other units, participated in the "Zero Discarding of Old Clothes" urban action plan of the Industry Department of the China Textile Federation to solve the bottleneck problem in the recycling and recycling of hotel waste linen. It is understood that in 2023, Jinjiang Hotel will recycle about 3.13 tons of linen in eight pilot stores of three hotel brands, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions by 23000kg CO2 equivalent, and achieving a project return rate of 15%.

　　 Relying on forward-looking strategic vision and profound scientific research and innovation ability, Hengshen Group, with the self-developed chemical regeneration technology of nylon as the core, has built a closed-loop recycling system of regenerated nylon T2T with Toray Group of Japan, which will provide a comprehensive solution for the recycling of waste textiles and waste plastics. At present, the project has completed the pilot test certificate and is undergoing engineering practice. The first phase of the project, which is expected to be put into production in the first quarter of 2026, will form a capacity of 7000 tons of chemically regenerated nylon, filling the gap in the domestic nylon T2T recovery field. Recently, Hengshen Group and Ambercycle, the leader in the field of recycling materials, announced that they had reached a strategic cooperation agreement, which would focus on the large-scale application of T2T closed-loop recycling system, and accelerate the transformation of the industry to a circular economy by jointly carrying out the market development of renewable fibers, recycling of waste textiles, technical engineering cooperation, new material production and promotion of industrial standards for recycling materials.

　　 Transition to biological method, T2T will welcome new progress

　　 From "physical extensive disassembly 1.0" to "chemical precise reconstruction 2.0", the recycling of waste textiles is ushering in the bio enzyme regeneration technology 3.0. As an emerging technology in the field of PET recovery, biological method shows promising technical potential.

　　 Yuantian Biotechnology (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. has developed a kind of hydrolase, which can realize the degradation and recovery of PET. You Shengping, the founder of the company, said that this technology has three advantages: in terms of raw materials, it has stronger adaptability, and can handle all kinds of PET containing materials to achieve full category recycling; In terms of degradation products, rPTA and rMEG (regenerated ethylene glycol) are generated through deep degradation of biocatalysis; In terms of final products, the Rb PET products produced are of high grade and can be used in fiber, food, film and other end products. It is understood that Yuantian Biotech is currently cooperating with its partners in closed-loop recycling, and has successfully produced the world's first enzymatic regenerated T-shirt/sneaker/PET bottle tablet/PET film in May 2024.

　　 Yangzhou Huitong Technology Co., Ltd. has rich technical accumulation and market experience in the field of PET recycling. In order to further break through the efficient degradation and recycling of PET plastics in enzymatic hydrolysis technology, the company has participated in the "14th Five Year Plan" national key research and development plan to focus on solving waste PET The bottleneck problem of the plastic bio enzymatic depolymerization recovery and recycling system is expected to enhance the competitiveness in the recycled plastics market.

　　 In addition, Huitong also established Ouruikang Bamag Huitong (Yangzhou) Engineering Co., Ltd. with Ouruikang, and developed an overall solution for PET regeneration and chemical recovery. Zhu Changquan, manager of the R&D Department of the company, introduced that the continuous online recycling of original polyester device developed by the company for chemical alcoholysis recovery of PET waste has the advantages of low operating costs, stable product quality and other advantages, and has achieved industrial and stable production on a 300TPD continuous polymerization device. Another chemical recovery method has the advantages of wide adaptability of raw materials, short process flow and high product purity. At present, a pilot process package for chemical recovery of ethylene glycol alcoholysis of waste textiles, waste silk and variegated sheets has been completed. According to Zhu Changquan, the 60000 ton waste homogenization recycling spinning filament project developed by the company was just successfully launched in Jiangsu Peipu Technology Group in April.

Peipu production workshop

　　 Jiangsu Peipu Technology Group is a high-tech enterprise focusing on green and environmental protection. The company has built a whole industrial chain system from waste textile and plastic recycling, production of recycled polyester chips to manufacturing of recycled polyester filaments. Wang Zhipeng, co-founder of Peipu, introduced that Peipu has formed a whole industrial chain of recycled polyester with "bottle washing, slicing and spinning" through its breakthrough in the technology of recycling polyester through physical methods. The purity and quality of recycled fibers are close to the original level, meeting the strict requirements of international brands. At present, the company can realize the whole industrial chain production from waste bottles to regenerated polyester yarn (FixDye). In the next step, Pep will use the powerful catalyst of nature - the power of enzyme to research and develop biological regeneration (BioCulus) fiber, and convert waste resources into new products.

　　 The research, development and production of recycled fiber of waste textiles have become an important direction of green development of chemical fiber industry. In the future, with the continuous progress of technology and the continuous expansion of the market, it is believed that more and more enterprises will join the ranks of waste textile recycling to jointly promote the sustainable development of the textile industry.

(Source: Textile and Clothing Weekly Guo Chunhua)