Earth.org reports that 11.3 million tons of textile waste are sent to landfills every year. The average person throws out 81.5 pounds of clothing each year. That’s just the U.S.
Over 100 million tons of worldwide textile waste is trashed each year. That waste ends up in landfills around the world, equating to about one garbage truck full of clothing going to a landfill every second.
Fashion trends come and go. Most items are worth no more than 10 times before ending up in the trash. Only 12% of the fabric used to make clothing is recycled, and that needs to change.
When something is no longer fashionable, do you hold it in storage in hopes the fashion trend will return? For most people, it’s easier to throw those items out. But it’s not ideal for the environment. Recycling is better, but that leads to additional problems.
It’s hard to recycle an item appropriately when it’s a blend of fibers. When an item contains synthetic fibers blended with natural fibers, like in cotton-poly, how can you recycle them?
Why Blended Fabrics Are Difficult to Recycle
Blended fabrics are hard to recycle because of the way they’re designed. On their own, the different threads might be easy to recycle, but once they’re blended, it’s challenging.
Take a loaf of oatmeal bread. On its own, you have flour, oats, yeast, salt, sugar, and water. Each of those items is a single ingredient. Mix them together, knead the mix, and let it rise. It becomes impossible to separate those ingredients to revert them to their original form.
With mixed fabrics, the same problem occurs. Separating the different fibers after they’ve been knitted or woven together is extremely difficult. Recycling the fibers requires different processes. Natural fibers like cotton or silk are different from synthetic fibers like polyester, which is similar to plastic as it’s petroleum-based.
The Processes Used for Textile Recycling
Depending on the type of fiber, different recycling processes are used. Natural fibers use chemical or mechanical recycling, while synthetic fibers require chemical recycling. Before any of this happens, clothing needs to be separated by the type of fiber. It’s a time-consuming process as it’s typically done by hand.
Chemical Recycling:
Chemicals break down fibers into their original monomers or polymers. Once they’re broken down, they can be recycled.
Mechanical Recycling:
Fabrics are shredded into tiny pieces and used in new products as stuffing or spun into a durable yarn.
If you’re using mechanical recycling, the fiber strength needs to be similar, which is why it’s not an option for mixed fabrics. Polyester isn’t as strong as cotton, so the threads may snap while being spun into yarn.
Advancements in Fabric Recycling
It is challenging, but researchers continue to find better ways to recycle all types of fibers. Recycling blended fabrics could become a simple process. Some of the advancements include:
- Advanced Sorting: Technology is helping make sorting equipment smarter. With smart technology, machine cameras can look at the fiber, determine exactly what type of fiber it is, and process it appropriately.
- Chemical Separation: The use of chemicals is advancing to dissolve specific fibers in a blend and leave the other fibers whole. Synthetic fibers are one area of focus. The dissolved fibers can then be recycled in their dissolved state, while natural fibers are recycled for reuse.
- Hybrid Separation: A combination of mechanical and chemical recycling processes is also being studied. Fabrics are broken down into a pulp using mechanical recycling. At that point, chemical recycling is introduced to separate the types of fibers.
Another option is to ease off on the creation of clothing using synthetic fibers. Researchers are constantly working on strong, durable, biodegradable fabrics.
What Can Consumers, Manufacturers, and Retailers Do to Lower Fabric Waste?
Recycling clothes is more than a clothing manufacturer’s or retailer’s problem. Consumers need to do their part, too.
Start by making smarter purchases. That discount shirt may be the most affordable right now, but consider how many times you’ll replace it over the months or years. If you’re wearing out a cheap T-shirt every year and spending $10 each time, it may not be the bargain you imagine.
After four years, you’ve spent $40 on shirts. If you’d purchased a quality brand for $30 that’s shown to last five years, you save money. High-quality, durable clothing items help you reduce consumption and save money.
As you shop for clothes, look at the label. Try to avoid fabrics that are a blend of different types of fibers. A 100% cotton item is easier to recycle properly than a rayon, cotton, polyester blend.
Repair clothing that’s still in good shape. Your shirt is missing a button, so sew a new button on or find someone who repairs clothing for others. Patch a rip in your jeans rather than throwing them out and buying new ones.
Do as much as you can when it comes to giving away or donating your used clothing. Hand-me-down clothing is something many of us grew up with. There’s no shame in passing down clothes to another family member, friend, or stranger if it means the clothing gets more use.
Companies Leading the Way in Mixed Fabric Reuse
Mixed fabric reuse and recycling are gaining ground. In addition to reuse stores and charities like Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, retailers like Patagonia and H & M take back used clothing for store credit.
Here are some other organizations helping to make a difference in fiber recycling.
- Circulose: This company is developing a next-generation material that converts cellulose from old clothing and scraps into new fibers. It replaces the need for raw materials like cotton or wool.
- Evrnu®: Recycled cotton fibers are turned into Nucycl® fibers, which are then used to make eco-conscious clothing.
- Repreve®: Repreve specializes in using recycled plastic to make synthetic yarn.
- Worn Again®: This UK-based company specializes in breaking down cotton-poly blends. The resulting next-gen cellulose fibers are spun into new fibers. The polyester (PET) fibers are spun into new PET fibers.
While recycling mixed fabrics is challenging, there are ways to upcycle and reuse. Post messages in local forums offering used clothing to quilters and craftspeople who use recycled fabrics in their products. Turn worn clothing into reusable rags for cleaning.
See if any local animal rescues could use them for pet bedding. Donating used clothing to retailers like Goodwill or Restore for others who need them.
If all else fails and you cannot find a local organization offering clothing recycling, use the recycling guide at Recycle Nation to find your nearest clothing recycling facility. Enter your ZIP code and the site lists all local recycling options with contact information and driving directions.
