Advancing Textile Waste Recycling: Challenges and Opportunities Across Polymer and Non-Polymer Fiber Types

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Growing global fiber production leads to significant textile waste, necessitating sustainable end-of-life solutions.
• Current textile waste management relies heavily on landfilling and incineration, driving the need for circular economy approaches.
• Material circularity in textiles is crucial to mitigate environmental impact and resource depletion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review cutting-edge pathways for textile waste management and recycling.
• To highlight innovations reducing reliance on landfilling and incineration.
• To explore advancements driving material circularity in the textile industry.

Main Methods:

• Review of established and emerging recycling methods, including mechanical, polymer, chemical, and biological recycling.
• Analysis of smart collection, automated sorting (near-infrared, hyperspectral imaging), and pretreatment technologies.
• Exploration of gasification as a waste-to-synthesis gas conversion method.

Main Results:

• Automated sorting and pretreatment technologies are advancing fiber separation and element removal.
• Mechanical recycling is suitable for strong fibers but limited with blends; polymer recycling demands high energy/solvents.
• Chemical recycling (solvolysis, pyrolysis) shows promise for synthetic polymers, while biological methods are emerging for natural fibers.

Conclusions:

• Integrating automated sorting and advancing chemical recycling are crucial for sustainable textile recycling.
• Eco-design principles, supportive policies, and industry collaboration are essential for a circular textile economy.
• Future textile waste management must prioritize innovative solutions for material circularity and reduced environmental impact.