Logistics Portal
Textile recycling is a must! It is the only way to reduce the mountains of rubbish in landfills, cut down on the production of new fibers, and reduce energy and water consumption as well as environmental pollution. The goal is closed-loop recycling, the return of recycled material from clothing back into the production of clothing and/or textile quality products. However, the technological solutions to do this on a large scale are still lacking.
The crux of the matter lies in the separation of materials. Clothing is usually made of blended fabrics; separating the fibers into pure types is technically complex, energy-intensive and expensive. But textile waste consists not only of different fibers, it also contains numerous chemicals that make it very heterogeneous and difficult to recycle. Technologies are still scarce, but research developments are emerging. Above all, they make one thing clear: to establish functioning cycles, cooperation between all players along the entire value chain is necessary.
Consequently, various players in the textile value chain – including Oerlikon – have joined forces with the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University in the Industry Research Group (IRG) Polymer Recycling to systematically address technological, economic and strategic issues. The aim is to develop processes for obtaining high-purity recycled fractions from mixed textile waste by analyzing different methods.
Questions and challenges
One example is the question of how textile waste can be processed using different shredding machines. This not only helps us to better assess the quality of the waste processing, but also provides clues to the estimated costs.
Another aspect is the influence of elastane on mechanical and chemical recycling. The amount of elastane varies in different textile products, which can provide us with important insights. Is elastane an obstacle to recycling? If so, what concentration limit of elastane would still allow recycling?
The role of cotton is also of interest, especially in blends such as polycotton. Does cotton impair the chemical recycling of polycotton? Does it remain intact during the recycling process? Or could cotton be recovered as cellulose powder at the end of the process?
There are still many unanswered questions that need to be addressed due to the complexity and heterogeneity of textile waste. This is precisely where IRG comes in as a platform that enables the exchange of ideas to deepen our understanding of textile waste and develop targeted solutions for different waste streams. – Because textile recycling is a must!
