Fashioning a way out of the textile waste wilderness

Textile revival with a new spin

The reFashioned documentary sheds light on the work of the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textile and Apparel. Led by Edwin Keh, the institute has developed a technology that makes recycling of blended textiles - when diverse fibers are combined to make one fabric - possible.

The race against time to get Hong Kong's first new textile mill in 50 years finished and operating helps drive part of the narrative and Keh proves an engaging - and enlightening - focal point.

"We're building all these things in Hong Kong, in one of the most crowded cities in the world, to demonstrate that you can have local solutions to your recycling challenges," Keh said, adding that a goal is to "create the yarns and fibers right where the recycling takes place".