A review on textile solid waste management: Disposal and recycling

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Waste Management
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Global population growth and improved living standards drive increased textile production and consumption.
• Textile waste constitutes approximately 1.5% of global waste, posing significant management challenges.
• Used clothing presents an opportunity for cost savings and sustainable raw material sourcing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the sources, environmental impacts, and management of solid textile waste.
• To investigate textile waste management processes including recycling, reuse, landfill, incineration, and energy recovery.
• To explore the potential of producing bio-ethanol from textile waste as a cellulosic raw material.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review approach was employed, synthesizing recent quantitative data.
• Analysis of existing literature on textile waste generation, environmental effects, and disposal methods.
• Investigation into the feasibility of bio-ethanol production pathways from textile waste.

Main Results:

• Developing countries often lack systematic waste management infrastructure for textiles.
• Incineration is utilized in some regions for energy recovery, generating heat and power.
• Flue gas management during incineration is crucial to prevent pollution.

Conclusions:

• Textile waste management requires systematic approaches, particularly in developing countries.
• Energy recovery from textile waste via incineration is a viable option, provided pollution controls are in place.
• Optimizing pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis is recommended for efficient bio-ethanol production from textile waste.