A textile waste processing line with a capacity of 2,500 tons per year under the Re:inventex project has commenced operations in Irpin, as announced by Dmitry Kisilevsky, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Economic Development.
"The new project is being developed by a team known for the company 'K.Tex' (producer of non-woven materials) and the industrial park 'Ma'Rizany' (processing of industrial hemp). Currently, in Irpin, they are experimentally processing waste from their own production and several other light industry enterprises," - wrote him on his Facebook page on Friday.
He explained that this involves textile scraps, which remain in large quantities after the production of clothing, bedding, and other light industry products.
"Special equipment imported from Spain and Italy allows us to 'unravel' these scraps for further processing into yarn and fabric. The initial investments in this project amounted to about 30 million UAH, part of which is a state grant of 8 million for enterprises in the processing industry," - noted Kisilevsky.
He emphasized that the government must actively support this and other similar projects, as it will help address a significant issue that Ukrainian light industry exporters will face this year when exporting to the European Union - documents regarding proper waste disposal or recycling will be required at the EU border.
Considering that light industry products account for up to 10% of all household waste in Ukraine, sewing factories, the military, hotels, restaurants, and citizens, in the opinion of the parliament member, should become participants in the recycling system.
He added that the Re:inventex project team is starting to create such a system by organizing waste supplies from light industry enterprises, communicating with hotel chains "and gradually preparing... for the import of secondary raw materials from abroad for processing in Irpin."
The company "K.Tex," according to information on its website, is one of the leading Ukrainian producers of non-woven materials. According to opendatabot, the ultimate beneficiary of the company is Andriy Ilchenko, who is also a co-owner of the managing company of the industrial park "Ma'Rizany" - LLC "Ma'Rizany Hemp Company," headed by Andriy Mykytiv (who also holds a 17.5% stake in "K.Tex").
LLC "REINVINTEX," which is developing the Re:inventex project, was established in Irpin in 2018 by the company "K.Tex," with Ilchenko as the ultimate beneficiary.
At the same time, the textile waste processing line in Irpin is not the first in Ukraine.
As reported, the fiber regeneration line of the company "TK-Domashniy tekstil" operates in Odessa.
"We were the first. Our capacity is 100 tons per month from all over Ukraine," - the company clarified to the Interfax-Ukraine agency.