The Ministry of Environment has set a goal of upcycling at least 100,000 items of clothing next year, after collecting about 82,000 tonnes of used clothing last year.
In modern times people tend to replace their clothes more frequently, following fast fashion trends.
Of the 82,000 tonnes of clothing collected last year, 42 percent were resold secondhand, 34 percent were downcycled and 24 percent were converted into solid recovered fuel or incinerated, ministry data showed.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Environment
Most clothing is made of a mixture of fabrics or includes complex accessories, which makes them difficult to upcycle.
The Resource Circulation Administration (RCA) established new criteria for clothes that can be upcycled, including those made of one type of fabric, with a certain proportion of recycled material and with biological fibers made from agricultural waste.
The agency also established guidelines for public and private sectors to collect upcyclable clothing, aiming to collect at least 100,000 qualifying items next year.
According to RCA statistics, the private sector has collected 23,000 tops and 16,000 bottoms made of 100 percent polyester, while the public sector has collected 8,000 tops and 2,800 bottoms.
Taiwan has established an upcyclable textile alliance, with more than 80 members including textile manufacturers, apparel companies, department stores, second-hand stores, recycled product manufacturers, government agencies, academic institutions and research organizations, the RCA said.
The agency has submitted draft legislation to promote this textile upcycling to the Executive Yuan and hopes it would be reviewed by the Legislative Yuan within the current legislative session.
A key goal of the legislation is to formalize green design principles so that qualifying products can use green design labels, the agency said.
The RCA said that textiles are one of Taiwan’s strengths, and the international community is moving toward a circular textile economy, where used clothes can be upcycled.
Domestic businesses are willing to adopt green designs, and once the relevant legislation has been promulgated, green product requirements and labels would be clearly established for businesses and the public to understand, it said.
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