South Korea is taking a significant step towards environmental sustainability by initiating a project to recycle leftover fabric scraps into sound-absorbing materials. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is taking a significant step towards environmental sustainability by initiating a project to recycle leftover fabric scraps into sound-absorbing materials.
The Ministry of Environment, along with the district offices of Jongno, Seongdong, and Dongdaemun in Seoul, and the Korea Textile Recycling Association, announced that a signing of a memorandum of understanding for this pilot project was planned for January 16.
The core of this initiative is to create a system that facilitates the separation and recycling of waste fabrics produced by clothing manufacturers. These materials will be sorted by type and recycled into sound-absorbing materials or pellets.
Previously, waste fabric scraps from companies were disposed of in regular trash bags and collected by district offices, leading to their landfill or incineration. Even if sent to Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) facilities, these materials were merely burned for energy recovery.
Under the new project, Jongno, Seongdong, and Dongdaemun districts will assist on-site with the segregation of waste fabrics and provide financial support for the initiative.
The Ministry of Environment will oversee the project, and the Korea Textile Recycling Association will create special bags for separating waste fabrics. They will also support member companies in manufacturing recycled products like soundproofing materials or pellets.
The fashion industry is recognized as a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. According to a report by the consulting firm McKinsey, the global fashion industry was responsible for emitting 2.1 billion tons of greenhouse gases in 2018, accounting for 4% of global emissions.
The report estimated that the largest share, 38%, of these emissions came from the production of raw materials.
Additionally, the production of synthetic fibers is known to release a substantial amount of microplastics. The World Wide Fund for Nature reported that a significant portion of global microplastic pollution originates from the fashion industry.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
