Why recycle textiles

Once in landfills, natural fibers can take a few weeks to a few years to decompose. Additionally, synthetic textiles are designed not to decompose. In the landfill, they may release toxic substances into groundwater and surrounding soil. Textile recycling offers the following environmental benefits:. Textiles for recycling are generated from two primary sources. These sources include: 1.

Post-consumer, including garments, vehicle upholstery, household items and others. Pre-consumer, including scrap created as a by-product from yarn and fabric manufacture, as well as the post-industrial scrap textiles from other industries.

The donation of old garments is supported by non-profit as well as many corporate programs, including those of Nike and Patagonia. Most of the reused clothing is exported to other countries. For the basics of recycling, read my article, How Clothing Recycling Works.

For textiles to be recycled, there are fundamental differences between natural and synthetic fibers. For natural textiles:. In the case of polyester-based textiles, garments are shredded and then granulated for processing into polyester chips. These are subsequently melted and used to create new fibers for use in new polyester fabrics. As society becomes more familiar with the hazards associated with sending old textiles to the landfill, and as new recycling technologies develop, it can be anticipated that the textile recycling industry will continue to grow.

At the same time, watch for trends such as slow fashion to draw continued attention to the interplay of clothing and sustainability. The fast fashion industry generates considerable pollution and a sizeable negative impact on climate change. Consumers can help affect change by choosing clothing brands that last longer and which demonstrate a commitment to reducing their climate change impact. Grand View Research.

Furthermore, even though uncontrolled incineration of textiles is a bad thing that harms the environment, there are new, more environmentally conscious facilities that have a different process in place. But did you know that over 12 million tons of different textiles end up in landfills each year? Not only is this practice severely damaging to the environment, it also costs a lot. Landfills are very expensive to purchase, and they require a lot of open space.

Recycling steadily cuts down these costs and removes the need for creating new landfills. The whole world is drowning in old clothes, and as pollution is becoming a hot topic, the only sensible option is to recycle. Luckily, the textile recycling industry is rapidly developing in many countries around the world, as a part of the circular economy, which means that recycling no longer costs money — it brings revenue.

Innovative and relevant solutions for the crisis of stuff. Posted on July 19, General textile recycling steps include: Donation Gathering Storing Processing Transpiration The end products are delivered to new users or to other industries where they can be used for different products.

Why textile recycling is an urgent issue The importance of textile recycling is growing each year. Textile recycling reduces greenhouse gas emission A big portion of clothes that we wear today are made out of various organic materials which are biodegradable and derived straight out of natural resources. It helps people in countries that are still developing A lot of old clothes that get recycled are sent to developing countries, where they are sold at affordable prices.

It saves energy The clothing industry spends a lot of energy to produce new products. Share This:. Facebook Twitter Instagram. What happens to the textiles you recycle? How natural textiles are recycled Natural textiles that are identified for recycling are sorted by colour and material.

By segregating colours, the need for re-dying can be eliminated, which reduces the need for polluting chemicals. Textiles are then pulled into fibres or shredded.

Depending on the end use of the yarn, other fibres may be added into the mix. The yarn is then cleaned and spun. Then the yarn is re-spun, ready for subsequent use in weaving or knitting. Not all fibres will be spun.

Some are compressed to be used for fillings, such as in mattresses. Textiles which are sent to the flocking industry this is when millions of synthetic or natural fibres are attached to a surface , are used to produce filling material for furniture padding, panel linings, loudspeaker cones, and car insulation. How synthetic textiles are recycled The recycling process works differently for polyester-based materials.