Scientists have developed a green technology that turns old textiles into new garments and could keep millions of pounds of textile waste out of landfills and waterways.
Since demand for new clothing continues to grow at a rapid pace, it’s crucial to develop technologies to recycle it sustainably. University of Nebraska, Lincoln, researcher Yiqi Yang created the first-ever chemical recycling system that removes dyes, creates high-quality fibers, and separates natural blends, according to an article posted to Tech Xplore.
“In the last 20 years, the total fiber production has doubled,” said Yang, a textile chemical engineer.
“Right now, we consume more than 125 million metric tons (138 million tons) of fibers per year. We cannot grow more natural fibers or raise more sheep. That’s not realistic, so we’re using more synthetic fibers, but the issue there is the ramification of nondegradable microparticles,” he added.
By reusing fibers, it drastically reduces demand for new fibers and textile materials, Yang explained.
While there are textile recycling options, they’re mostly just for repurposing garments into other materials. However, upcycling systems are not common and can’t be used on a large scale. Mechanical recycling is another option, but researchers noted the process is “destructive” and requires much more fiber to make yarn, which creates excess waste.
Fiber-to-fiber recycling is more challenging to implement than other systems, but Yang and his team managed to achieve success with their aqueous system technology that creates high-quality fibers. Their findings have been published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling.
Yang said it recycles the fibers along with the solvents and dyes so that no materials go to waste. His team is trying to patent the technology and has published several articles showing how the system can be used on various fibers, including cotton, wool, and even carpet.
The tech can also be applied to used denim, which is a major win for the environment, considering around 2.16 million tons of waste is generated from jeans each year — most of which ends up in landfills, according to Fibre2Fashion. The system is also scalable and affordable, so it’s likely to make a big dent in fashion waste.
“Using our technology, you can recycle fibers from any textiles cost effectively, with excellent properties,” Yang said. “Everything we did had large-scale production in mind. Of course, we have to have industry interest because the industrial application requires heavy capital investment.”
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Yang’s team also plans to use agricultural refuse, such as chicken feathers, to create new textiles.
“I just don’t see the future without these two choices that we are working on,” Yang said. “We need to find new solutions to make more fibers and then recycle what we have. Without the two, we cannot meet the demands.”
As the fashion industry contributes significantly to plastic pollution, recycling clothing will reduce the amount of microplastics entering oceans and other natural areas. Manufacturing clothing requires tons of energy and raw materials such as cotton and synthetic fibers, and it also creates pollution. By recycling clothing, it will save valuable resources and reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
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