Millions of tons of "dry waste" every year can be turned into green fabrics. This first-ever T-shirt is actually a recycled lunch box! After eating takeaway
After eating takeout, where do the used lunch boxes go? Will these white dry garbage cause plastic or microplastic pollution? You may not expect that at the Advanced Low-Dimensional Materials Center of Donghua University in Songjiang University Town, Shanghai, the dark and light T-shirts for the first time in the new product look and feel like ordinary T-shirts, but they are actually recycled lunch boxes. With quick-drying properties.
From takeout lunch boxes to quick-drying T-shirts, behind this magical material cycle are takeout platforms, plastic recycling companies, fabric processing companies, designers and brands, as well as material scientists, who have worked together to open up this technical route and allow the first The advent of low-carbon polypropylene fabric made from recycled lunch box materials provides a high-value recycling scenario for take-out lunch boxes, which also reduces carbon footprint and environmental pollution accordingly.
![Millions of tons of "dry waste" every year can be turned into green fabrics. This first-ever T-shirt is actually a recycled lunch box! After eating takeaway](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/0fceda37f3eb45e93de40c5565dd8e4e.webp)
A reporter from Jiefang Daily and Shangguan News learned that industry statistics show that more than 1 million tons of takeaway lunch boxes are used nationwide every year. After recycling this "bulk raw material", we try our best to make it harmless and mainly use it in some in lower-end applications. With the support of Meituan Qingshan Technology Fund, scientists from the State Key Laboratory of Fiber Material Modification of Donghua University creatively processed and modified waste lunch boxes to prepare ultra-fine denier polypropylene fiber and made it into Quick-drying fabrics and T-shirts.
"When we were thinking about the way out for takeout lunch boxes, we were wondering whether these lunch boxes made of polypropylene could also be made into recycled polypropylene fabrics after being recycled as waste products," said project leader, Polymer Carbon, Center for Advanced Low-Dimensional Materials. Li Bin, a researcher at the Zhonghe Platform, said, “With this idea, we quickly verified it, and the results showed that it was technically feasible, but there were still some challenges.” Therefore, a Ph.D. from the School of Materials Science and Engineering who was responsible for the specific implementation of the project We have invited industry chain partners including GEM, Monte Hi-tech, Li Ning and Kingfisher from the UK to develop together.
![Millions of tons of "dry waste" every year can be turned into green fabrics. This first-ever T-shirt is actually a recycled lunch box! After eating takeaway](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/9047f85c6acbeed2231686f93bef5923.webp)
After unremitting efforts of many parties, the technical problems in various aspects such as impurity removal, deodorization, spinning and fabric production of recycled lunch box materials were finally solved, and the "recycled lunch box - slicing - granulation - drawing - weaving - manufacturing process was successfully opened. The technical route of "clothing" realizes the recycling from lunch boxes to T-shirts, which can be described as "reborn" and "turning waste into treasure".
“While giving new life to recycled lunch box materials, this project also provides a new sustainable development solution for the textile fabric industry,” analyzed Fang Weimin, Vice President of Management System of TUV Rheinland Greater China, “We provide recycled lunch box materials with Corresponding third-party carbon accounting was conducted, and the results showed that compared with virgin materials, the carbon reduction can reach 73%, and the carbon reduction effect is very obvious. "Therefore, polypropylene fabrics made from recycled lunch box materials are inherently low-carbon. It is expected to become a sustainable textile fabric on par with recycled polyester, the incarnation of used beverage bottles, and is favored by designers and brands.
![Millions of tons of "dry waste" every year can be turned into green fabrics. This first-ever T-shirt is actually a recycled lunch box! After eating takeaway](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/92a23aec4f6eb80c8c3e5d755d724eb5.webp)
It is also worth mentioning that improving the application value of lunch boxes after recycling will also greatly increase the recycling ratio of used lunch boxes. "We are committed to promoting the green and low-carbon development of the takeout industry. Waste lunch boxes can be converted into recycled polypropylene fabrics, which provides a new way to reduce lunch box pollution and create new experiences for consumers," said Tian Jin, Project Director of Meituan Qingshan Plan He expressed that he would continue to strongly support such innovative projects and contribute to the development of circular economy.
"Low-carbon environmental protection is the development theme of today's era, and it is also a new direction for the development of materials science. The school and industry experts have found a good cross-innovation point in the field of 'polymer material carbon neutrality', providing the industry with innovative ideas, Innovative solutions and innovative products." Zhao Zhen, vice president of Donghua University, hopes that the successful promotion of recycled polypropylene will drive the high value-added utilization of lunch boxes, promote the sustainable development of the green economy, and contribute more to the national "double carbon" strategy.