Mapo-gu's 700 Tons of Discarded Sewing Fabrics Reborn as Nonwoven Fabrics

Mapo-gu Produces Dedicated Bags for Disposing of Waste Sewing Fabrics, Distributes to Local Sewing Companies
Park Gang-su, Mapo-gu Mayor: "We Will Accelerate Resource Recycling Projects to Reduce Incineration and Landfill Waste"

Scrap fabric from closed garment factories is recycled and reborn as nonwoven fabric.

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) will start recycling textile waste from this month.

It is estimated that about 60 tons of waste textile fabric are collected as household waste and then incinerated or landfilled monthly in Mapo-gu alone. However, waste textile fabric is a material that can be recycled into nonwoven fabric such as bubble paper if separated properly.

Accordingly, the district has produced dedicated bags (50ℓ) for disposing of waste textile fabric and has been distributing them free of charge to local sewing companies since the 14th, aiming to reduce household waste by recycling waste textile fabric.

When companies write their business address and contact information on the outside of the dedicated bags and dispose of them, the household waste collection agency contracted by Mapo-gu collects them separately. The collected waste textile fabric will be recycled into nonwoven fabric such as bubble paper through a recycling specialist company partnered with the district.

In particular, since the recycling process is carried out free of charge, the district expects that about 700 tons of resources can be recycled annually and household waste reduced with minimal budget input.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “We must continue to discover resources that can be sufficiently recycled among the waste that is incinerated or landfilled at great cost,” adding, “Mapo-gu will focus on reducing household waste that is incinerated or landfilled and accelerate resource recycling projects in the second half of the year.”

Meanwhile, the district is recruiting companies to participate in textile fabric recycling throughout the year, and those interested can contact the Mapo-gu Resource Circulation Division for applications and other inquiries.