HKRITA Expands Circular Textile Innovation Through Mainland China Partnerships and Technology Transfer
The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) is accelerating its circular economy expansion across mainland China through a series of strategic partnerships, technology transfer initiatives, and industrial-scale recycling trials. At the centre of its latest progress is the “Green Machine,” HKRITA’s hydrothermal separation technology designed to recycle blended poly-cotton textiles — one of the fashion industry’s most difficult waste streams. The technology was recently recognised among the “20 Shanghai Outstanding ESG Cases” at the 2026 Corporate Sustainability Development Conference, highlighting growing industry attention on scalable textile-to-textile recycling solutions.
Capable of separating polyester from cotton in blended fabrics with a reported 97% recovery rate, the Green Machine addresses a major barrier to circularity in the global apparel sector. According to HKRITA, industrial-scale trials show the process requires approximately 19 GJ of energy per tonne of recycled PET, around 30% lower than virgin fibre production. Speaking during a sustainability roundtable in Shanghai, HKRITA CEO Jake Koh stressed that achieving net-zero supply chains will require not only recycling technologies, but also digital monitoring systems and carbon footprint transparency across manufacturing networks.
To further commercialise its research, HKRITA has also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Chengdu Qinggong Polytechnic University, marking the institute’s first international academic collaboration of its kind in mainland China. The partnership will focus on talent development, startup incubation, and scaling the supply of high-purity recycled cellulose materials by combining HKRITA’s technological expertise with Chengdu’s industrial ecosystem.
As HKRITA marks its 20th anniversary in 2026, the institute is positioning regional collaboration and knowledge-sharing as key enablers of textile decarbonisation. With more than 150 patents spanning textile circularity, smart manufacturing, and advanced fibres, HKRITA’s expanding mainland footprint reflects the growing role of cross-border innovation networks in supporting China’s green manufacturing transition and the fashion industry’s wider net-zero ambitions.
