Textile waste recycling | Textile waste environmental impact

Textile waste

Textile waste disposal is crucial for the global textile industry. Tons of textile products are discarded by consumers and end up in landfills around the world. Estimates say that a vast majority, such as 95 percent of discarded products, can, in fact, be re-worn, reused, or recycled, depending on their condition. Indeed, the situation is pushing the trend, because, as natural resources are limited and the cost of waste removal is increasing, more and more waste is being recycled or reused.

Textile waste is produced through a number of streams, including the fiber, textile, and garment manufacturing industries, the consumer, and the commercial and service industries. CTR classifies textile recyclable materials as pre or post-consumer waste.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), about 5% of all landfill space is textile waste; However, recycled post-consumer textile waste is only 15% per year, and thus, a huge 85% of the waste ends up in landfills. Some organizations, including the Council for Textile Recycling (CTR), are working to raise awareness about keeping post-consumer textile waste out of solid waste streams with a view to reaching zero textile waste levels by 2037.

According to the CTR, pre-consumer textile waste is the processing of waste produced during the processing and production of finished yarns and textiles, technical textiles, nonwoven, garments, and footwear, including offcut, selvage, shearing, discarded materials, and/or B-grade garments. Pre-consumer textile waste is generally considered "clean waste". Pre-Consumer Textile Waste is produced by the original manufacturers and is never made for the consumers.

Postconsumer textile waste refers to textile products that the consumer disposes of for whatever reason they can longer be run or are not liked by consumers. In general, post-consumer textile waste is of good quality, which can be reused or recovered as second-hand clothing and is usually sold in poorer regions of the world. Even textile products that will probably not be used by consumers can potentially be cut into fibers for reuse for production.

Textile waste recycling

Recycling and recovery of textile products such as glass, metal, plastic, and paper and product groups such as electronics, packaging, and automotive is not uncommon. Recycling activities related to the textile sector mainly focus on the treatment of chemical waste and contaminated water - problems that occur during the manufacturing process. The number of scientific or practical studies on solid waste recycling is extremely limited.

Waste generated by the textile sector contributes to land, water, and air pollution. Perishable textiles generate greenhouse gases and thus pollute the air. Huge amounts of chemicals used to produce textile products inevitably pollute rivers. And discarded textile products fill landfills, which are already scarce. All of this waste is an asset that could be used to make value-added products. Not only is this possibility wasted, but more raw materials have to be used, resulting in more energy consumption.

Recyclable technologies are divided into primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary methods and all four of these methods are applicable to fiber recycling. Early approaches refer to the recycling process as it was originally. Secondary recycling means melting a plastic product into low-quality processing but still a new one. Tertiary recycling refers to the processes that convert plastic waste into basic chemicals or fuels, such as pyrolysis and hydrolysis. Quaternary recycling involves burning fibrous solid waste and converting the heat generated by the fuel into a source of energy.

The most recycled textile waste is thermoplastic polymer-based fibers because they are easy to process and can be given different shapes and sizes later. Yet, natural fibers such as cotton, wool, and silk are also finding their way into recycling streams through downcycling or upcycling. Textile recycling is not a widespread industry today. The number of companies providing textile fiber recycling services is limited because it is not economically viable and is not technologically advanced. The lack of technological innovation and the constant supply of cheap fabrics in the market hinder the motivation to apply research, development, and recycling strategies; However, this does not completely hinder the development of new technologies for recycling textile waste. Soon, some obstacles will have to be faced and addressed to further increase the recycling of textile waste. In the case of technology, the fundamental question is the fiber composition of textile materials. Current garments in today’s market are more varied in terms of design and fiber content than in the past. Other compounding factors are problems/difficulties in separating composite materials, separation efficiency, quality of separated material, and hence the quality of recycled material, etc. Since recycled fibers and fabrics still provide lower levels of quality, virgin natural and synthetic fibers remain popular alternatives. There are some reusable technologies on the market today.

Clearly, recycling is not always the preferred approach, when not only the environmental context but also the competition of the final product in the market is taken into consideration. Existing recyclable technologies need to be better, cleaner, more energy-efficient, and less expensive. Textile recycling, a key concept for sustainability, is currently facing barriers related to cost, time, and technology.

Textile waste environmental impact

In addition to increasing the efficiency of recycling methods and processes, the market for recyclable products should increase. In short, more encouragement is needed for recycling, wherever it is economically and technically possible. Textile recycling has important advantages, both environmental and economic. This reduces the need for landfill space, the use of already rare virgin resources, pollution as well as water and energy costs, and the demand for paint and fixing agents. However, although recycling provides a way to reduce the negative environmental impact, it is not without some problems.

Unstable use of textile products ensures the deterioration of the environment. In order to achieve environmental integrity and sustainability, it is not enough to encourage textile companies to produce more environmentally friendly products. In this context, Connolly and Prothero write: "Instead of focusing on whether green can serve as a strategy, we should probably try to understand more about the process that has forced people to believe that they, as individuals, can help solve global environmental problems."

Conclusion

Therefore, recycling waste from the textile industry is very important. The future of textile recycling depends largely on gaining more experience and a foundation for its implementation and more innovative approaches in the industry. Clothing retailers are key actors on this front, as they are uniquely able to influence and improve consumer attitudes toward sustainability. Clothing retailers are not only likely to influence consumer decisions, but they are also in a position to change the way they use them. People can learn the importance of reuse as well as reuse and resale with the help of companies and it is not limited to developing countries. Through such actions, consumer awareness about sustainable costs will increase, which will lead to less environmental damage in the future.