Inventions Geneva

46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva (2018) - Gold Medal

2018-04-01
Awarded Project: Textile Waste Recycling by Biological Methods

The International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva is the world’s largest annual event devoted exclusively to inventions and the licensing market. 

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In this project, we aim to conduct the feasibility studies of textile waste recycling by biological method. We intend to recover fermentable glucose and polyester (PET) fibre from textile waste via bioprocessing. In Hong Kong, there are around 300 tons of textile waste generated daily.

Fifty-two percent of the textile waste generated is dumped into landfills. It is estimated that the current landfill sites in Hong Kong will be exhausted. Exploiting textile waste generated by the clothing and textile industry for chemical and material production could create integrated, sustainable and bio-based processes. This project will contribute to a novel approach of textile waste treatment, especially the pre-treatment and the enzymatic hydrolysis process. In addition, the feasibility of re-spin PET fibre recovered from the textile waste will be conducted.