Textile Recycling Textile industry is among the most essential consumer goods industry. We all need garments and other textile products such as footwear and bags etc. However, text

Textile Recycling

Textile industry is among the most essential consumer goods industry. We all need garments and other textile products such as footwear and bags etc.

However, textile industry is also accused of being one of the most polluting industries. Not only production but also consumption of textiles produce waste.^(a)

To counter the problem, textile industry has taken many measures for reducing its negative contribution towards environment. One of such measures is textile recycling – the reuse as well as the reproduction of fibers from textile waste.

Sources of Textile Waste

The majority of textile waste comes from household sources.^(b) Average^(c) lifetime of any clothing is deemed to be for about 3 years, after which they are thrown away as old clothes.^(d) Sometimes even ‘not so worn garments’^(d) are also discarded as they become unfashionable or undesirable. These are post-consumer waste that goes to jumble sales^(b) and charitable organizations. Most recovered household^(e) textiles coming to these organizations are sold or donated. The remaining ones go to either a textile recovery^(a) facility or the landfill.^(c)

Textile waste also arises during yarns and fabric manufacturing, apparel-making processes and from the retail^(e) industry. They are the post-industrial waste.

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Why Textile Recycling!

Textile recycling is for both environmental and economic benefits. It avoids many polluting and energy intensive processes that are used to make textiles from fresh materials.

\(\bullet\) The requirement of landfill space is reduced. Textiles lead to many problems in landfill. Synthetic fibers don’t decompose. Woolen garments do decompose but produce methane, which contributes to global warming.

\(\bullet\) Pressure on fresh resources too is reduced. […]

\(\bullet\) As fibers get locally available, they don’t have to be transported from abroad thus reducing pollution and saving energy.

\(\bullet\) Lesser energy is consumed while processing, as items don’t need to be re-dyed or scoured.

\(\bullet\) Waste water reduces as it does not have to be thoroughly washed with large volumes of water as it is done for, say, raw wool.

\(\bullet\) Demand is reduced for textile chemicals like dyes and fixing agents.

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Recycling the Textiles

Textile recovery facilities sort out the overly worn or stained clothing into various categories. Some textiles become wiping cloths and polishing cloths. Cotton can be used for making rags or form a component for new high-quality paper. Knitted or woven woolens etc. are “pulled” into the state of fiber for reuse by the textile industry in low-grade applications, such as for car insulation or seat stuffing. Other kinds of fabric are reprocessed into fibers for upholstery, insulation, and even building materials. Buttons and zippers are taken off for reuse. The remaining natural materials, like various types of cotton, can be composted. If all available means of reuse and recycling are properly utilized, only about 5% of the remaining solid waste needs to be disposed of.

As far as post industrial waste is concerned, all collected textiles are sorted and graded by highly skilled and experienced workers, who are able to recognize the large variety of fiber as against the shorter types resulting from the introduction of synthetics and blended fabrics. This post industrial waste is generally reprocessed inhouse. Clippings from apparel manufacture are also used by fiber reclaimers to make into garments, felt and blankets.

Some recovered items are even reused by fashion designers for making garments and bags. However, this is on a very small scale.

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Available in: <http://www.teonline.com/knowledge-centre/textilerecycling. html>.

Retrieved on: Sept. 16, 2011. Adapted.

Observe the pairs of words found in the second paragraph and check the item in which the two words have equivalent meanings.