The fabric costs 45 yuan per yard and is 100% recyclable. This brand aims to transform the clothing supply chain from the source | New manufacturing species.
Innovation in any link of the industrial chain may drive the transformation of suppliers across the entire chain and reshape its efficiency. The accumulation of innovative technologies, changes in collaborative relationships, and updates of concepts and standards, among other factors, together propel the upgrading of China's manufacturing industry.
36Kr Future Industry has launched a series of reports titled "New Manufacturing Species", continuously focusing on innovative sparks and application cases in industrial transformation.
Text | Zhang Bingbing
Editor | A Zhi
On the west coast of South America, the Atacama Desert in northern Chile is known as the "driest place" in the world. However, what stretches as far as the eye can see here is not only the desert but also mountains of garbage, mainly discarded tires, cars, old clothes, and shoes.
Chile has long been a disposal center for second - hand clothes and unsold garments. According to CCTV Finance, over 46,000 tons of second - hand clothes flowed into the country in 2021. Even in a place where stones are easily weathered into sand, these discarded clothes take at least 200 years to fully decompose.
On the other side of the meridian, at the antipode of the Atacama Desert, lies Guangdong Province in China, a crucial global manufacturing hub for the clothing industry. Cluster collaboration, flexible manufacturing, and supply - chain innovation enable clothing to reach the world from here better, faster, and at a lower cost.
The term "antipode" means "the two farthest points on Earth". Guangdong and the Atacama Desert seem to represent the two extremes of the clothing industry, from production to disposal. A piece of clothing leaves the factory, is sold around the world, and finally ends up in a non - degradable "graveyard".
Image source: National Geographic Photography: Tamara Merino
Facing the increasingly severe problem of textile waste disposal, the world is taking measures to accelerate the construction of a circular textile system. Some enterprises aim to break the one - way chain from the perspective of recycling and reconnection, linking the end of the industrial chain with the production end to establish a new chain for textile and clothing recycling. REGROWBLU®, a recycled textile technology brand founded by Guangzhou Sanyuan Ecological Technology Co., Ltd., starts from the source of recycled fabrics and is committed to promoting sustainable supply - chain innovation.
Similar to the logic of many industrial - chain reconstructions, technology is the key to breaking the old chain. As a developer and manufacturer of recycled fabrics, REGROWBLU® can recycle 95% of waste textile materials on the market through its patented recycling technology in textile engineering and materials science, achieving large - scale mass production of 100% recycled fabrics.
YK, the founder of REGROWBLU®, told 36Kr Future Industry: "We have managed to reduce the minimum order quantity of recycled fabrics to 500 yards (2 yards of fabric can make a pair of denim jeans) and the price to 45 yuan per yard, enabling more independent designers, design brands, and international brands to try our recycled fabrics."
The R & D workshop of REGROWBLU®'s Phase I factory
As the world's first recycled textile technology company to achieve large - scale production of 100% recycled materials, REGROWBLU® has been able to reduce product prices thanks to its self - developed intelligent loom Fs - 8™. This equipment not only improves fabric production efficiency but also reduces waste. It is expected to further expand the market for recycled materials, opening a new "gateway" for the upgrading of circular textile technology and the development of the clothing industry.
A Pair of Jeans and a Tree
In fact, the clothing and textile industry has long been a major contributor to pollution and carbon emissions. According to relevant data from the International Energy Agency, the carbon emissions of the textile and clothing industry account for 10% of the world's total carbon emissions, exceeding the combined emissions of international aviation and shipping. It is the second - largest source of pollution after the petroleum industry.
In contrast, the recycling rate of textiles such as clothing has remained low. Public information shows that the European Union generates about 12.6 million tons of textile waste annually, but the recycling rate is only 22%, and most of it is down - cycled, such as being made into rags or filling materials. The proportion of true fiber - to - fiber closed - loop recycling is less than 1%.
While studying at the Milan National Academy of Fine Arts, YK was exposed to the ESG concept. After returning to China and working as a clothing product designer, YK realized that to effectively solve the problems in the textile circular industrial chain, one must start from the upstream fabric.
"The textile industrial chain is extremely long. I've noticed that many brands, even well - known international ones, mainly focus on ESG in their marketing. Whether looking at the data on the content of eco - friendly or recycled fibers in a single product or the proportion of sustainable products in a brand's product portfolio, the figures remain low. Marketing mainly serves to raise consumer awareness, but the lack of substantial product supply makes it difficult for green consumption to truly transform into sustainable behavior. We are still far from achieving the goal of addressing the environmental problems and climate crisis caused by the industry."
With the Pre - A round investment from the family industrial fund Chung Holdings and the assistance of its affiliated textile enterprises, YK and his partners began to engage in the R & D of recyclable and renewable fabrics upstream of the industrial chain in 2016.
Most recycled fabrics on the market are made from waste PET materials. This petroleum - based synthetic fiber can already be mass - produced through physical or chemical methods. However, the recycling technology for cotton fiber, another core raw material in the clothing industry, still faces bottlenecks, which is the current focus of the REGROWBLU® team.
REGROWBLU®'s 100% recycled cotton fiber under development
One of the major challenges in using recycled cotton fiber is the yarn - breaking problem during weaving due to insufficient fiber strength. The team has integrated physical, chemical, and biological methods, minimizing pollution to "zero" at different manufacturing stages. Over the past three years, they have conducted over 10,000 tons of recycling experiments and developed more than 3,000 SKUs.
"In the 42nd experimental test of #627810 (technical number), we finally achieved a major breakthrough in 100% recyclable and reusable technology. It is the world's first traditional denim fabric woven from 100% natural recycled fibers and suitable for large - scale production." YK showed us that its fabric's breaking strength, tearing strength, and color fastness to dry/wet rubbing all meet the national CMA testing standards, comparable to those of virgin cotton fabrics.
Recycled fabric produced by REGROWBLU®
REGROWBLU® named this groundbreaking denim fabric Δ42. Denim fabric, well - known as high - end jeans fabric, is one of the most polluting and carbon - intensive fabrics in the clothing and textile industry. According to data from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), a pair of jeans consumes about 3,781 liters of fresh water and emits 33.4 kilograms of carbon throughout its life cycle, from cotton cultivation and manufacturing to retail and consumer use.
REGROWBLU® Δ42's 100% natural recycled fabric
By using recycled materials and new production processes, one yard of Δ42 fabric can save about 2,275 liters of water and reduce carbon emissions by 3.15 kilograms in advance. A standard pair of women's jeans requires about 2 yards of denim fabric. By this calculation, producing a pair of denim jeans with Δ42 fabric can reduce carbon emissions by about 6.3 kilograms in advance, which is approximately equal to the carbon sequestration of an elm tree in a year.
Currently, REGROWBLU® has achieved large - scale production of recycled fabrics, with an annual production capacity of 3 million yards at its Phase I factory in Guangzhou. Before 2023, the company mainly relied on overseas ODM business for profit and later gradually expanded into the domestic market.
The manufacturing workshop of the Phase I factory
In 2024, REGROWBLU®'s annual revenue exceeded 50 million yuan, and it has cooperated with international luxury brands and international fast - fashion brands, becoming their supplier of recycled fabrics.
Lowering the Minimum Order Quantity and Price
Single - point technological innovation can be achieved through concentrated resource investment. However, in the traditional manufacturing clothing industry, production cost is always the most sensitive factor. A series of cost - related factors can affect technology popularization and market penetration.
"Most commercial companies will wonder if using recycled fabric will be expensive, if the minimum order quantity will be high, and if their retail prices can support the use of this fabric. Even top - tier companies in the industry will consider these issues." In YK's view, the most direct solution is to lower the price and minimum order quantity.
Internationally, the price of recycled fabric products with a low recycled content is around 200 yuan per yard. Due to the instability of recycled raw materials, minimum order quantity, production cycle, and price, it is often difficult to achieve stable commercialization. Relying on breakthroughs in material technology, textile equipment R & D, and the advantages of industrial - chain resource aggregation, REGROWBLU® has reduced the price of one yard of fabric to 45 yuan and the minimum order quantity to 500 yards.
After the newly invested Phase II factory is officially put into operation in September 2025, REGROWBLU®'s annual production capacity will double to 6 million yards, and the minimum order quantity is expected to be reduced from 500 yards to 300 yards. This will further break down the procurement barriers for sustainable fabrics and lower the threshold for the green transformation of all - category brands.
The manufacturing workshop of the Phase II factory, scheduled to be officially put into operation this September
Currently, customers can directly purchase samples of recycled fabrics through REGROWBLU®'s self - developed mini - program. They can use recycled fabric for just 225 yuan.
"We hope that through the mini - program as a bridge, we can make recycled fabrics more accessible to more designers, independent design brands, and small - and medium - sized companies in China. With a minimum order of 500 or 300 yards, they can try using recycled fabrics to produce sustainable products flexibly." YK said that the flexible direct - sales model not only lowers the brand's usage threshold but also shortens the product development cycle, improves response efficiency, and empowers brand green transformation. To some extent, it also bypasses the gray areas in traditional procurement processes, further reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
In the traditional textile manufacturing industry's operating system, industry unwritten rules such as acquaintance - based networks, prepayment, and indefinite payment terms pose multiple challenges to supply - chain enterprises, including financial pressure and operational risks.
YK hopes that in the future, a more intelligent and flexible direct - sales model will enable customers to quickly purchase sustainable fabrics for product development, shortening the entire decision - making cycle and making the industrial chain more transparent, healthy, and fair. Although currently, this model may only be suitable for some small - and medium - sized enterprises or individuals and cannot completely solve problems such as procurement kickbacks and bad debts.
In the long - term plan, REGROWBLU® hopes to extend its business to the recycling sector. YK once visited a clothing recycling site with a community clothing recycler and found that clothes were not sorted by material for secondary recycling but by category and condition, either being exported or incinerated.
In fact, it is an open secret that the global second - hand textile trade shifts the burden of waste to developing countries. It is reported that the Kantamanto market in Ghana receives 15 million pieces of clothing per week, and up to 40% of them cannot be sold. Due to a lack of disposal facilities, they are either incinerated or dumped.
REGROWBLU®'s recycling system strategy will be implemented in two steps: currently, it focuses on large - scale resource recycling (covering both pre - consumer and post - consumer recycling); in the next step, it will use its third domestic factory as a pivot to establish a closed - loop system, gradually replicating it across the country and exploring global business. "Our ultimate vision is to achieve a future of zero waste and zero carbon. Through recycling technology, we drive high - value resource reuse, build a full - chain closed - loop, and truly realize a circular revolution from fiber to fiber." YK summarized.
Stepping into the Spotlight
In the global supply - chain system, Chinese manufacturing has long occupied a core position as an "invisible champion". However, as the global industrial chain is further restructured, supply - chain competition has evolved from a cost - efficiency battle to a brand - value game. Achieving value enhancement through branding is an inevitable challenge for industrial - chain enterprises.
Chinese recycled textile technology brands are stepping into the spotlight, building influence from the source. Just as power batteries play a crucial role in the new - energy vehicle industry today, different battery brands represent different technological routes, which often influence consumers' car - buying decisions.
Under the carbon - reduction policies of European and American countries, many international brands have launched circular - economy initiatives in recent years. In October