With circularity shaping the future of fashion, students from the MA in Sustainable Fashion and Innovation (SFI) recently visited Hanin Enterprises Limited’s recycling facility in Yuen Long. Organized by the environmental NGO REDRESS and led by Mr Paul CHAN, Chief Amazement Officer of Hanin, the half-day experience explored how used institutional textiles can be given a second life and how sustainable materials can be incorporated into production.
At the facility, students learned that successful recycling begins with meticulous sorting by fabric colour and fibre composition. Discussions highlighted how single-material fabrics can facilitate recycling, alongside the distinction between downcycling, which produces lower-value products, and upcycling, which creates higher-value products. Mr CHAN also explained the role of sanitisation and antimicrobial coatings in preparing recovered materials for further use.
The visit highlighted four key considerations for sustainable production: sustainable design through careful material selection; carbon footprint measurement to identify lower-impact options; responsible manufacturing, even when it involves longer production times or higher costs; and circular recycling supported by commercially sustainable recovery processes.
Mr CHAN also introduced Hanin’s sustainability-focused sub-brands, illustrating how these principles inform its business activities. ESG Uniform provides sustainable uniform manufacturing for corporations and schools, while ESG School HK offers school uniform programmes across Hong Kong. Its materials include fibres derived from recycled plastic bottles, bamboo and corn, which Hanin describes as requiring less water and fewer chemicals than conventional alternatives. Nu Carpet produces exhibition-grade recycled carpets using fibres recovered from collected textiles, including school and corporate uniforms, bedsheets and tablecloths.
