Through a new production process, the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) and Seiko Epson Corporation have succeeded in developing a new regenerated cellulose fibre with a silk-like sheen from waste cotton fabric.

The new process integrates Epson’s proprietary Dry Fibre Technology for regenerating textiles with HKRITA’s fibre dissolving technology. It involves turning discarded cotton fabrics into a powder-like state, dissolving the cotton in a solvent and extruding it through a nozzle into a coagulation bath, where it solidifies and is spun into the new fibres.

The regenerated fibre has the strength of virgin cotton and is being aimed at high-end applications such as scarves, ties and suit linings. Moreover, since the short fibres that occur during the regenerated fibre production process can also be used rather than discarded, as is usually the case, the process can help to increase the total clothing recycling rate.

“As an applied research centre, HKRITA is dedicated to solving real-world problems and enhancing current practices and products,” said HKRITA CEO Jake Koh. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Epson to recycle fibres and repurpose them into high-quality yarns. This cross-industrial collaboration is not only reimagining materials but also redefining the future of sustainable production.”

 “We are extremely pleased with the results that this joint development project has yielded,” added Epson executive officer Satoshi Hosono “The selective application of this new wet process and our previously developed dry process should enable fibres to be regenerated from all waste cotton fabrics while reducing environmental impact.”

New collaborations

In separate news, HKRITA has announced the establishment of the Green Innotextile Base (GIB) in collaboration with the Pudong New Force Incubator and Pudong-Hong Kong Institute for Technology Transfer and Innovation.

The innovation platform will launch its initiatives in the Yangtze River Delta region, focusing on sustainable development, circular economy initiatives, research on new textile and apparel materials and the integration of fashion with artificial intelligence.

“The Green Innotextile Base will leverage the strengths of the textile industry to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration across industry, academia and research sectors,” said HKRITA chair Teresa Yang.

Additionally, HKRITA has announced a partnership with NeoRita Sustainable Technologies (Shanghai) to leverage its proprietary bacterial cellulose transformation technology in developing a range of eco-friendly, vegan leather products.

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