PETALING JAYA: Fancy wearing a jacket or other items of clothing made from coffee grounds that have been turned into a high-tech yarn? Be prepared because that is in store for fashionistas if Taiwan succeeds in its membership bid to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Also, environmentalists among us will be pleased that such high-tech fibres require less water for textile production.

Currently, it is estimated that textile production is responsible for some 20% of global clean water pollution due to the dyeing and finishing processes. Making a single cotton T-shirt uses 2,700 litres of fresh water, which is enough to meet the drinking needs of an adult for 2.5 years.

Singtex Group chairman Jason Chen, whose firm produces coffee yarn under the brand S.Cafe, said textile production is traditionally a resource-heavy industry. But his company has changed that through its numerous manufacturing process innovations.

Founded in 1989, he said Singtex has grown into one of the world’s leading “functional textile” manufacturers.

“In a push to discover more sustainable material alternatives, we developed S.Cafe, which is the world’s first coffee yarn.

“S.Cafe is a recycled high-tech yarn that is made from used coffee grounds to naturally (render) garments with (features) such as odour control, quick-dry and UV protection.

“Our patented technologies can be applied to a wide range of fabrics, from protective waterproof ones for rain jackets and stretchable material used in active wear,” said Chen, adding that S.Cafe integrates sustainable technology into the ever-growing coffee drinking culture.

“The goal is to make the world a better place for all. Nature inspires us and our philosophy is to always respect and protect it. We strive to become the world’s leading supplier of sustainable textiles.

“To achieve this goal, Taiwan’s participation in the CPTPP will be a step in the right direction. We have also worked with partners such as The Society of Wilderness, Organic Rice Farmers and many more. So, by making a positive impact on our environment, we are making the world a cleaner and more sustainable place for the next generation,” he told theSun.

Taiwan’s textile exports are globally ranked at ninth place. It is also the third largest nylon fibre and polyester filament supplier. Over 50% of its market share is from global functional fabric and it supplies about 70% of this to international sports and outdoor brands and retailers.

Taiwan Textile Federation representative Monica Lu said: “For every 10 pieces of yoga clothing sold in the US, eight were made using Taiwanese fabrics. Over 50% of fire resistant fabrics for firefighter uniforms are in Taiwan.”

As of 2021, Taiwan had more than 4,500 factories manufacturing textiles and garments, employing over 140,000 people. Its total production value was estimated at US$12.33 billion (RM55.5 billion).

“The Taiwan textile sector is now a US$35.7 billion (RM160.8 billion) industry, and CPTPP member countries account for 30% of its total foreign trade in textiles.

“In 2022, some 34.1% of CPTPP members imported its textiles, which is an increase from 21.1% in 2010. In 2021, Taiwan’s largest textile and garment export market among CPTPP members were Vietnam and Japan. They accounted for 78% and 11% of total textile exports to CPTPP member countries, and were made up of mainly fabrics and yarns,” Lu said.

She added that as Taiwan has become a leading high-quality textile research, development and production centre in Asia, membership to the CPTPP will provide an advantage to the country apart from being a competitive source of imports for CPTPP members.

“Due to the strict rule for textiles called ‘yarn forward’, which means that all yarn and fabric used to make a textile or apparel product must be formed in the Free Trade Area region.

“Some CPTPP members such as Vietnam and Malaysia can use Taiwanese inputs to export textiles and clothing to Mexico and Canada more competitively, while Mexico can export to CPTPP countries under such conditions using those same inputs,” she said.

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