Singapore faces an urgent need to tackle textile waste. In 2021, the nation produced 189,000 tonnes of textile waste, from sources ranging from discarded clothing, linens and bags. Only 4% of the waste is being repurposed or recycled. 

Currently, existing textile recycling efforts in the United States, Europe and Asia require slight chemical treatment to recycle fabrics. There is a need for more low-carbon and energy-conserving textile recycling solutions without the use of chemicals in order to extend the lifespan of raw materials like cotton and reduce textile waste. 

Global resources-based manufacturing group, Royal Golden Eagle and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have jointly launched a textile recycling research centre – RGE-NTU Sustainable Textile Research Centre.The S$6M joint research centre aims to accelerate research and innovation for the pilot of the nation’s first textile recycling plant planned for early 2024. The research centre and eventual recycling plant intends to explore closed-loop circular textile solutions and ways to produce new fabrics and materials from used fabrics, such as old clothes. 

Currently, Royal Golden Eagle is one of the biggest producers of viscose, employing more than 60,000 people across Indonesia, China, Brazil, Spain and Canada. There is both the potential to scale and draw from relevant expertise, especially from NTU scientists, in which the research centre hopes to leverage on. Research is targeted to focus on the following areas :

Cleaner and more efficient means for mixed fibre separation

Automated front-end sorting of textile waste

Alternative high-value utilisation of by-products and development of new functional materials

Environmentally benign processes for dye removal and natural dyes development

The textile recycling plant has yet to be launched but it is mentioned to recycle 8,760 tonnes of fabric waste per year at full capacity. This is equivalent to the weight of 58.4 million T-shirts. If the pilot is successful, Royal Golden Eagle hopes to build a network of recycling plants in other cities, in an effort to move towards a global circular textile economy. 

Additionally, the joint research centre is part of Singapore’s Zero Waste vision and a move towards the Singapore Green Plan 2030. The nation hopes to achieve a domestic recycling rate of 30% by 2030, from a rate of 13% as per last recorded in 2021.