A comprehensive review on textile waste valorization techniques and their applications

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Industrial Ecology

Background:

• Growing populations drive textile production, leading to significant textile waste generation.
• Current waste management (landfilling, incineration) negatively impacts the environment.
• Converting textile waste into value-added products is crucial for environmental sustainability and circular economy principles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of textile waste.
• To explore the potential of textile waste valorization across various fields.
• To identify challenges in textile waste valorization.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of textile waste generation, properties, and valorization techniques.
• Categorization of textile waste based on sources and forms.
• Analysis of reuse and valorization potentials in diverse applications.

Main Results:

• Textile waste can be effectively utilized as a raw material for numerous value-added products.
• Applications include manufacturing new textiles, packaging, plastics, composites, construction materials, and energy generation.
• Other potentials include chemical additives and composting.

Conclusions:

• Textile waste represents a valuable resource for sustainable product development.
• Valorization of textile waste contributes to environmental pollution reduction and circular economy goals.
• Addressing associated challenges is vital for widespread implementation.