In the showroom of Zhejiang Shunpu New Material Technology Co, located in Longyou county, Quzhou, Zhejiang province, paper has been transformed into clothing items such as shirts and socks in a remarkable innovation.

Combined with Longyou's specialty paper industry, Shunpu New Material has developed low-weight, high-strength, thin-colored paper made from pure wood pulp, along with a range of processed products.

"We initially produced woven paper products. Look at these bags, hats, slippers, mats, and curtains — all made from our company's paper," said Gu Xianfeng, director of the quality inspection department of Shunpu New Material.

Hats are made from woven paper at Zhejiang Shunpu New Material Technology Co. [Photo/Tide News]

In recent years the company has developed a special process to turn wood pulp into yarn that can be woven into clothing. This "paper yarn" is strong and does not dissolve in water. Clothing made from paper yarn feels similar to cotton or linen, offering better moisture-wicking and antibacterial properties.

In 2023, Shunpu New Material developed a demonstration production line for paper yarn, and this year, brands like Heilan Home and Collection of Style have begun trial sales of clothing made from Shunpu's paper yarn.

In July, the company’s new production line, with an annual capacity of 8,000 metric tons of new green textile materials and 4,000 tons of processed paper yarn, received approval and is now under construction.