Taekwang Industrial and Daehan Hwasum Rebirth Old Clothes into 'Upcycling Socks'

Collaboration with Kakao Makers... Unveiling 'Upcycling Socks' for Vulnerable Groups
Old Clothes Collected and Recycled into Eco-Friendly Fiber Acepora-Eco through Desizing and Spinning Processes

From the 24th to the 26th, representatives from Taekwang Industrial and Daehan Chemical Fiber introduced upcycled socks at 'Preview in Seoul' held at COEX, Seoul. Photo by Taekwang Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] Taekwang Industrial has embarked on a unique challenge to transform unused old clothes into eco-friendly fibers as part of its ESG management efforts.

Taekwang Industrial and Daehan Chemical Fiber, textile and petrochemical affiliates of Taekwang Group, announced on the 29th that they showcased ‘Upcycling Socks’ produced in collaboration with Kakao Makers at ‘Preview InSEOUL 2022,’ held at COEX, Seoul, from the 24th to the 26th.

This project is part of a social contribution activity that delivers necessary items to vulnerable groups through an ‘upcycling’ process, which recycles easily discarded everyday items into new products.

The socks produced this time were made from ‘ACEPORA-ECO®,’ an eco-friendly yarn reborn through a fiber-opening process from collected discarded or unused old clothes. Fiber-opening refers to the process of cutting fabric or clothing into small pieces and returning them to a cotton-like form.

Kakao Makers handled product collection, production, and mass production, while the dismantling was undertaken by ‘Wooshisan,’ a social enterprise supporting job creation for people with developmental disabilities. The final products, scheduled for production in early September, will be delivered to participants of the old clothes collection campaign and children under the protection of the Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation.

Previously, Taekwang Industrial and Daehan Chemical Fiber established the first circular system for recycled spun yarn from non-reusable clothing among domestic textile companies.

Last year, they also produced eco-friendly yarn from clothes collected from employees and provided 2,500 pairs of gloves made from this yarn to field workers in the Park and Greenery Department of Jung-gu Office, Seoul.

Taekwang Industrial and Daehan Chemical Fiber are actively engaging in eco-friendly marketing and campaign activities linked with local communities.

Starting with a business agreement signed in May last year with Ulsan Port Authority, they produced work uniforms from recycled yarn made from waste PET bottles collected by the authority and provided them to workers at Taekwang Industrial and Daehan Chemical Fiber’s Ulsan plant. They have also produced eco-friendly uniforms for the Pink Spiders women’s professional volleyball team of Heungkuk Life Insurance, and professional baseball teams SSG Landers and Hanwha Eagles, established a cooperation system with Jung-gu Office, Seoul for using transparent waste PET bottles, and conducted circular collaboration campaigns with Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province.

A Taekwang Industrial official stated, “The importance of recycling processes in the global textile fashion market has increased significantly due to the spread of eco-friendly awareness and the pursuit of sustainable development by global companies. We will do our best to proactively respond to market changes in line with the industry’s eco-friendly trend and establish a sustainable circular system.”

Meanwhile, through ‘Preview InSEOUL 2022,’ which closed last week, Taekwang Industrial and Daehan Chemical Fiber unveiled their eco-friendly fiber portfolio and recycled materials, exhibiting differentiated products within key product groups such as nylon, polyester, spun yarn, and spandex.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.