Textile Recycling - An Overview

Textile Recycling – An Overview

Sourav Chowdhury
Textile Engineering College, Zorarganj, Chattogram

Introduction:
Recycling is the process of transforming garbage into something useful. This type of environmentally friendly technology recycles waste materials to create new goods. Recycling has advantages for the environment, the economy, and our communities. We make the earth healthier for ourselves and future generations by recycling our waste products.

Glass, aluminium, plastic water bottles, metal scrap, various types of paper, electronics (computers, mobile devices, keypads, battery packs, and other small mechanical equipment), textiles, wood, wire, cables, items made of plastic, rubber, etc. belong to the materials that can be recycled.(1)

Textiles are the dominant industry in Bangladesh. Hence, they are present in every part of our lives. Today, we’re going to talk about recycling textiles. Textile recycling refers to the process of reusing or reproducing used clothing and other textile materials to prevent waste and conserve resources. It is essential for reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills and decreasing the demand for raw materials. It also plays a significant role in promoting sustainability within the fashion and textile industries.

Textile Wastages and It’s Effects:
Materials that remain unusable after a process is completed or a product has reached its intended end use are referred to as waste or wastage. It is a certain kind of inferior, worthless, or defective material.

Therefore, material that is considered useless or unusable following the completion of the production process for any textile product is referred to as textile waste. Every step of the textile manufacturing process—spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, finishing, and clothing—produces trash.

Both the environment and the textile industry are seriously threatened by textile waste. A spinning mill’s blow room portion generates a significant amount of cotton trash as fiber bales are processed through it. It poses a risk to the economy. Tonnes of fabric are dyed, and tonnes of effluent are created in dyeing factories, affecting the environment tremendously.

Since the beginning of production, there have been significant changes in the trends inside the textile industry, along with how it is used. According to a new study from the MacArthur Foundation, although the number of garments produced has doubled over the past 15 years, the number of garments used has decreased by more than a third. This indicates that fast fashion and textile waste are becoming more prevalent in some developed economies. An estimated 92 million metric tonnes of textile waste are generated annually worldwide. Global textile waste is predicted to reach over 134 million metric tonnes annually by 2030. 10% of carbon emissions worldwide can be credited to the fashion sector, which is more than the combined effects of international travel and maritime shipping.

The European Environment Agency predicts that each person in the EU who purchased textiles in 2020 released roughly 270 kg of CO2. This indicates that 121 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions are produced by textile items used in the EU.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that about 5% of all landfill space in the US is made up of textile waste. This translates to the millions of tonnes of textiles that are dumped in landfills annually. (2)

Reusing textiles can save a great deal of energy, reduce the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills, and protect the environment. Textile recycling is increasing as a result of developments in the recycling sector, rising consumer awareness, and a commitment by major international brands to lessen their carbon footprint. However, a few barriers stand in the way of widespread adoption, including infrastructure deficiencies, public ignorance, and cross-contamination.

Let’s examine what needs to be done to recycle textiles, including the procedures, advantages and disadvantages, and most recent developments.

Steps for Textile Recycling:
We can take some steps for textile recycling.

1) Primarily, there are several donation and collection sites where people can drop off unwanted textiles and clothes. Charities, charity shops, or recycling groups may operate these centers. Giving coupons or discounts on future purchases as rewards to people who donate their used textiles and clothes.

Many businesses use recycled post-consumer textile waste with other recovered materials, including plastic, to create their products. This also applies to materials that are not apparel.

Scandinavia is a place that has been more forward-thinking in its use of recycled textiles, as evidenced by the products that it has produced for the mainstream market. Companies like Lindex and H&M in Sweden are incorporating pre- and post-consumer waste fibers into their new garment collections.

2) Sorting: After that, all donated materials for a textile recycling project need to be sorted and graded. High-quality apparel is typically donated directly to the Salvation Army, donation centers or charity shops.

To avoid the need for re-dying, a procedure that produces pollutants and consumes a lot of energy, textiles that cannot be resold such as garments in bad condition are classified by color. Fibers made of natural and synthetic materials are also separated.

3) Processing: The majority of natural textiles including cotton are mechanically recycled into shoddy fibers by ripping them into little pieces. These fibers are then cleaned, aligned using a carding technique, and respond into yarn. To make the material stronger before it is recycled and used for knitting or weaving, other fibers might be added. Compressed materials instead of spun yarn will be used to make an alternative textile, like automobile insulation or mattress filling.

Synthetic fibers, which include fabrics made of polyester, are easier to degrade. After being shred these materials are put through an extruder to create polyester chips.

Combined fibers are the most difficult to treat yet some newer techniques and solvents can be used to extract cotton or nylon. When reusing textiles is not practical, chemical processing takes place. Although this procedure is not yet commonly used, certain businesses are investigating and incorporating chemical recycling. The main locations for small-scale production are Ioncell, Eco Circle, Worn Again, and Evrnu.

Synthetic fibers like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are recycled chemically. It is possible to decompose these synthetic fibers into yarn, fabrics, and fibers. In order to create PET, the raw materials must first undergo molecular breakdown through the use of substances that promote the processes of glycolysis, methanolysis, hydrolysis, and ammonolysis. Additionally, impurities like colors and undesired fibers are eliminated from the starting material during this depolymerization process.

Moreover, as only 15% of worn textiles are actually “recycled,” textile waste presents an economic opportunity for forward-thinking organizations in addition to being a necessity for the environment.

Conclusion:
In the face of swift global change, companies need to understand the importance of sustainable practices in the textile sector. Incorporating circular economy principles, employing cutting-edge recycling technologies and cultivating a conscientious consumer culture allow businesses to gain a competitive advantage in an increasingly ethical and sustainable marketplace while simultaneously decreasing their negative environmental impact.

We can make sure that every thread contributes to a cleaner, greener planet for future generations by staying innovative, working together and committing to responsible consumption. Let’s use textile recycling to weave together a better future.

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