Problems
There are serious problems in the apparel industry, the second largest environmentally damaging industry.
Do you know how much apparel is discarded?
In Japan alone, more than 3 billion garments are discarded annually, and the global figure is more than 20 billion garments. Most of the apparel recycling that is already taking place is thermal recycling (incineration to generate electricity), which is no different from conventional waste incineration from a carbon-neutral standpoint.
What is the best environmentally friendly way for us to recycle apparel?
Facing the challenges
Can we turn used clothing from around the world back into resources ?We felt the need to visualize a system that would connect the four elements of collecting, sorting, converting into hydrogen, and contibuting to local communities. So we immediately went to Silicon Valley in the US, where hydrogenation is in its infancy, and began developing a program to convert discarded clothing into hydrogen.
Solution
Upcycling reduces waste and creates resources
Sustainable development goals cannot be achieved unless everyone works together to connect global environmental issues with economic activities.
Biotech Works aims to achieve zero waste and zero emissions by using discarded apparel garments.
As a first step, we are offering the use of our ZERO-TEX fabric to our customers. Then, to connect environmentally conscious companies and stakeholders, we will expand the use of our platform, Biotech Works.
Working together
One of Biotech Works’ great strengths is that our app allows you to better realize the value of our products and the quality of our ZERO-TEX® fabrics.
With comfort, safety, and contributing to sustainable activities in mind, ZERO-TEX® products worn to their limits are collected, converted to hydrogen, and then into renewable energy.
Data visualization allows the upcycling process to be tracked all the way through to the end, and allows our customers to experience the SDGs in real life.
Global hydrogen market to be worth trillions
Hydrogen is a key carbon neutral technology that is expected to be utilized in a wide range of fields including power generation, transportation, and industry.
Let’s take action for the future!
The idea of converting clothing into hydrogen is a new challenge that no one has taken on before. We have been working on the construction of a system to recover and convert clothing to hydrogen, including the treatment of impurities, the cost of hydrogenation, and many other issues. We aim to achieve a balanced and true consideration for the environment by not using the SDGs as a profit-making objective, but rather by making profits from our core business and ensuring that environmental improvement is achieved from a perspective other than profit.
Approximately 4 grams of hydrogen can be produced from 1 meter of ZERO-TEX®*(1)
10 grams of hydrogen can power a car for one meter. (2)
Together we will continue to raise awareness, and transcend industry barriers and national borders.
*(1)As of March 2022
*(2)As of March 2022, according to our own research.
