Recycled Textile: The Hidden Burden of Our Development of Textiles

Recycled Textile: The Hidden Burden of Our Development of Textiles

Hafsa Akter
B.Sc. in Textile Engineering
Textile Engineering College, Zorargonj, Chattogram

Abstract:
The demand for textiles is increasing day by day and along with meeting this demand, the amount of textile waste is also increasing. From there, the gas and chemical leachates that emerge during the decomposition process pollute the air, soil, and groundwater and negatively impact the environment and health of humans and other species. These wastes are a serious threat to the environment. A logical approach to diverting existing textile waste stream is the adoption of textile recycling technologies and systems.

Introduction:
The development of textile industry is depending on the decrease of waste management. Worldwide 75% of textile waste is landfilled, only 25% is recycled or reused. It is too much threatening to our environment Textile production is estimated to be responsible for about 20% of global clean water pollution from dyeing and finishing products. Laundering synthetic clothes accounts for 35% of primary microplastics released into the environment. The world produces 92 million tons of textile waste a year; China (20 million tons) and the US (17 million tons) produce the most. One of the most shocking statistics is that the textile industry generates over 92 million tons of waste yearly. This staggering amount results from mass production of clothing, and perhaps most profoundly, the disposable nature of many fashion items. Over 11.5 million tons are converted into textile waste during the pre and post-industrial processes involved in manufacturing cotton garments in factories, according to data and estimates from the OECD and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2021.

Methodology:

Procedure:
We can make brick from fabric waste that would otherwise have gone in the the trash and with these bricks we can make furniture, decorating or soundproof heat-insulating partition walls. To prevent used clothing from being wasted. We can use textile waste by dropping them in collection bins. Provided for the purpose on the streets also can even throw out worn out clothing with rips on holes, since it can be recycled. We will use here different types of eco-friendly glue and different ways of putting the textiles into the mould to compress them from which we will get “Prototype” that held together well. Which response well to fire and withstood humidity too. We know the cotton in our clothing is a good insulator both for heat and soundproofing. And the glue used to make the bricks makes the waterproof and fire resistant.

We also can use recycles waste fabrics from garments factories to make paper. In this process, at first shredded fabrics and paper waste are placed in a tank which transforms them into a paste ore pulp. Then thin layers of pulp are used to create sheets. These sheets are compressed using heavy machinery. Afterward, they will be dried for 2 days and smooth it. Finally they are evenly cut which will be used for stationary, decor, paper bags and more.

The recycled textile process will reduce production costs as well as meet the SDG targets.

Mechanical Process of Textile Recycling:
Mechanical recycling is a low-cost and easy method, which is the preferred method for recycling a different variety of textile waste. The recycling of post-consumer textile waste is generally carried out by mechanical recycling. In mechanical recycling process, the fabric is broken down into fibers by cutting, shredding, carding, and other mechanical processes.

Chemical Process of Textile Recycling:
Chemical recycling, which is another method of using the recycled textile wastages, it is the depolymerisation process of polymer. Polymers are converted into their original monomeric building blocks by chemical and biological methods.

The Important Reason Behind Recycled Textile:
Our dream to have a Green Planet can only be gained when such waste is reused & recycled and put them to good use of it. For example, once plastic bottles are thrown after use, and then they are recycled. Similarly, textile waste materials can be recycled. There is a huge misconception about recycling being limited to paper and plastic. It is obligatory to understand that recycling textile waste materials is equally important. People must look online for options such as Textile recycling ideas and so on. If charity begins at home, recycling textile also begins with tiny actions!

You may also like: Textile Recycling – An Overview

We know, water, electricity and other resources are required for clothes manufacturing. It results in energy conservation, when these items are reused and recycled. A small step can impact positively toward post consumer textile waste management. So if we want to save the planet we should be Recycle and Reuse textile waste to reduce textile waste materials.

Advantages of Recycling:

1. Manufacturing process is easy and quick that will save lot of energy.
2. Pressure on fresh resource will reduce.
3. By using recycle cotton we can save 20,000 litters of water on per kg cotton.[7]
4. It can reduce green house gases. Because when people throw clothing in landfill, those cloth lack in oxygen for their break down. When they don’t get it, they produce by-products like methane. Textiles are one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. …
5. Reduction in waste disposal / landfill space
6. Help the needy and less fortunate. …
7. Save money. …
8. No extra effort required.

Disadvantages of Recycling:

1. Decreased thermal resistance
2. Low pile of ring-spun yarn
3. Low stiffness and fiber interlocking
4. Lower inter-fiber cohesion
5. Lower interlocking of fibers

Conclusion:
The environmental benefits can be gained from using textile waste materials rather than unused materials to make these products include reservation of natural resources, reduced energy consumption, carbon dioxide and other emissions, and wastage going to landfills. For recycling successfully, clients must collapse the system, not just make an occasional charitable donation. Meanwhile arbiters must continue to develop new value-markets and market the after-use possibilities so that the system functions at full capacity and with commitment from all. To reach the goal of a circular economy set by the European Union, end-of-life textiles have to be recycled in such a way that new fiber material with similar properties to the virgin material can be produced. While this is already a technically achievable strategy for sorted textile waste materials consisting of only one type of fiber material, multi-material textiles are a problem for recycling purposes. These multi-material textiles should therefore be avoided and a ‘design for recycling’ approach should be established in the textile and apparel industry. In the cases where textiles with multiple different fibers materials are unavoidable, novel recycling concepts have to be developed that can separate the different fibers materials from each other either directly, or through selective processing of individual fiber materials into useful chemicals. Biochemical processes seem to be the most suitable solution for this task because of their high selectivity and ecological operating conditions.

References:

1. https://images.app.goo.gl/uaA3SmMhq96BgzaT7
2. https://images.app.goo.gl/jWaE73xbftbuWnZ19
3. https://images.app.goo.gl/5mhLDTh37XoAG7q28
4. https://picvisa.com/en/waste-management-industrial-post-industrial-waste/#:~:text=Of%20this%2C%20over%2011.5%20million,the%20United%20Nations%20in%202021.
5. https://images.app.goo.gl/xfaRQqbYF3obBGWD7
6. https://images.app.goo.gl/yW3xT7jz4njd2PES9
7. https://www.textileblog.com/textile-recycling-importance-methods-and-technologies/
8. https://fashinza.com/fashion-designs/design-trends/5-reasons-why-post-consumer-textile-recycling-is-important/
9. https://images.app.goo.gl/aBSrN3maGUm7pU6J7

Guest Author

This article is written by a guest author and reviewed, revised and edited by Tariq Bin Mutalib, Editor in Chief, TextileFact.com.

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