Hong Kong’s XDD Textile launches closed-loop system

XDD Textile, a vertically integrated fabric manufacturer situated in Hong Kong, is moving towards circularity.

The XDD Sewage Recycle Process was used to launch a closed-loop system. The system collects garment trash and stock from local factories and the company’s own cut waste. Before proceeding to the fabric production process, it dissolves and regenerates the fiber and re-spins the yarn. In all, the system regenerates 10 to 15% of the garbage collected. XDD is a Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) and Carbon-Zero certified company.

Many supply chain partners are looking to closed-loop technologies to extend the life of products while reducing their environmental effects. In 2020, Turkish denim mill Isko inked a licensing arrangement for the award-winning Green Machine from the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), a technology that fully separates and recycles cotton and polyester blends at scale. Only water, heat, and less than 5% biodegradable green chemicals are used in the closed-loop process.

A year later, it joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign initiative, which created a set of durability and recyclability guidelines, such as using at least 98% cellulose fibers by weight, using easy-to-disassemble components, and eliminating metal rivets. It has collaborated with the Swedish research and development firm MoRe Research, which is part of the Rise Research Institutes of Sweden, to continually create innovative, sustainable technologies that use waste and cellulose-based materials to end the fashion manufacturing cycle.

In accordance with these efforts, XDD Textile plans to expand its capacity with the opening of a new spinning mill in 2024. The plant, which will be located next to its denim mill in Vietnam, will use Lenzing materials like as Tencel Lyocell, Ecovero, Modal, and Tencel Refibra. It intends to include Lycra T400 in the future.