Green Machine Wins the Edison Award 2023

The Green Machine by The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel received the bronze Edison Award (category: Circular Economy, Sustainability) this month, the sixth prize this project has received. The award recognised the project’s use of innovative technology to promote sustainable development in the textiles and fashion industry. The Green Machine separates cotton and polyester blends by using heat and water, solving a long-standing challenge of recycling blended materials in the textiles industry.

Since its establishment in 1987, the Edison Award has recognised global inventions in different fields such as machinery, electronics, medicine, logistics and sustainability every year, excelling in the criteria of concept, value, delivery and impact. Amid fierce competition, the Green Machine garnered the bronze award in the category of “Circular Economy” for its outstanding solution in separating blended textiles. Recovered polyester fibres can be recycled into yarns after decolourisation, while cellulose powder decomposed from cotton fibres can be turned into a functional finishes reagent or regenerated cellulose fibres, both for textile application, or Absorboost, a water-retention agent for farming.

The Green Machine effectively separates polyester (left) from blended textiles (front) by breaking down cotton into cellulose powder (back right)
(Photo by H&M Foundation)

The cellulose powder decomposed from cotton can be converted into a water-retention agent. Using it in cotton farming can increase water absorption and storage capacity, and boost the yield by about 20%

The Environmental Protection Department’s latest report, Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong, states that the amount of textile waste in 2021 exceeded 140,000 tonnes, an increase of nearly 67% compared to 2020. The Green Machine tackles the recycling of textile waste using only water, heat and less than 15% biodegradable chemicals to separate cotton and polyester blends. All treated materials can be reused, allowing resources to be fully utilised during their life cycle. It is hoped that the Green Machine will stimulate the industry to move towards a circular economy.

Fashion brand Monki uses recycled polyester fibre from the Green Machine in its casual wear collection
(Photo by Monki)

The achievement of the Green Machine in winning of a number of textiles, innovation and sustainability awards has strengthened HKRITA’s determination to foster technology development of the fashion and textiles industry