A textile factory in the New Taipei City industrial park has developed a new material manufactured from waste coffee grounds, recycled plastic bottles and jade stone.
Chen Kuo-chin, general manager and chairman of Singtex Industrial Co., said the textile is odor resistant, quick drying and offers protection from ultraviolet rays. It is also used to produce scarves, bed sheets and socks, he added.
“The idea came to me many years ago while sipping coffee over breakfast with my wife,” Chen said. “I initiated R&D in 2005 and am now beginning to see significant returns on this investment.”
According to Chen, coffee grounds from cafes and convenience stores are collected and processed to remove all oils and impurities. “It takes approximately three cups of coffee to make a shirt,” he said.
The company holds the rights for the product in Taiwan and mainland China, but is still awaiting approval of its global patent application.
“Once this is granted, we will move rapidly to exploit markets in the EU, Japan and U.S.,” Chen said.
