How Does Textile Recycling Work?

As the world becomes more aware of the environmental impact of fast fashion and overconsumption, textile recycling has emerged as a crucial part of the sustainability movement. Our closets, once filled with cheap, easily discarded garments, are now potential sources of valuable raw materials. 

But how does textile recycling actually work? From collection to sorting, shredding, refabrication and beyond, this process offers a second life to clothing and fabrics, reducing waste and saving resources.

Here’s how the process works!

The textile recycling process

Collection

Textile recycling begins with collection, a stage that sets the entire process in motion. 

Communities, cities and organizations might set up donation bins or recycling centers, or may have partnered with retailers to gather unwanted clothing. Some brands have in-store collection points where you can drop off used garments in exchange for incentives like discounts or coupons

Local initiatives, thrift stores and even curbside textile recycling programs also play a significant role in amassing discarded fabrics. The purpose is clear: rather than sending old textiles to landfills, these materials can be reused, repurposed or recycled into something new.

Sorting

Once collected, the next step is sorting the textiles based on material type, condition and potential for reuse. Typically, workers or automated systems in the recycling centers will start by separating natural fibers such as cotton, wool and linen from synthetic ones like polyester, nylon and spandex. 

The condition of the textiles also determines their fate. Clothes that are still wearable might be set aside for resale in secondhand markets, while items that are too damaged or worn are earmarked for recycling. 

Shredding

After sorting, textiles that are no longer suitable for direct reuse are sent for shredding. 

Shredding is exactly what it sounds like — fabrics are torn apart into smaller, more manageable fibers that are easier to work with. For natural fibers like cotton, the shredding process breaks down the fabric into its individual strands, which can then be spun into new yarn or used for stuffing, insulation or composite materials. 

For synthetic materials, which don’t break down as easily, shredding may be followed by additional processes such as melting the fibers down into a resin that can be remolded into new textiles or even entirely different products like plastic containers!.

Shredding is crucial because it transforms old fabrics into raw materials that can be used in manufacturing. However, this stage often weakens the quality of the fibers, especially in the case of natural materials — which is why many recycled fabrics are blended with virgin fibers to increase durability and strength

Cleaning

Once the textiles have been shredded, the cleaning process begins. This is a particularly important stage for natural fibers, as they tend to retain much of the dirt, oils and dyes from their previous life. Various chemical or water-based treatments are used to cleanse the fibers, removing contaminants that would affect the quality of the recycled material. 

For synthetic fabrics, cleaning is often part of the shredding or melting process. The goal here is to ensure that the recycled fibers are as pure as possible before they are repurposed so that the final products are as strong as possible. Whatever that final product may be, proper cleaning ensures that the fibers can be effectively spun into new yarn, or in the case of synthetic materials, reformed into usable resin.

Refabrication

Following cleaning, the process of refabrication begins. For natural fibers like cotton or wool, refabrication involves spinning the cleaned and shredded fibers back into yarn, which can then be woven or knitted into new textiles. These new fabrics might be used for clothing, upholstery or industrial purposes like insulation. Recycled wool, for instance, can be used to make blankets or carpets, while recycled cotton might end up in new denim jeans or t-shirts. The quality of the fibers plays a large role in what they might become on their second round of life. 

Synthetic textiles follow a slightly different path during refabrication. After cleaning, synthetic fibers such as polyester or nylon are melted down and reformed into small pellets of resin. These pellets can then be extruded and re-spun into fibers, but they can also be used in a variety of non-textile applications, such as car parts, building materials or even park benches! This highlights one of the advantages of synthetic textile recycling — it offers flexibility in terms of end-use, turning old garments into products that might not even resemble their original form.

Challenges associated with textile recycling

While textile recycling is an innovative and eco-friendly solution to addressing this certain kind of waste, it isn’t without its challenges. Like in paper recycling, the quality of recycled natural fibers often diminishes with each cycle and, as a result, requires recyclers to keep a careful eye on the microscopic qualities of the tiny fibers. Additionally, clothing made from blended fabrics (such as a cotton-polyester mix) can be difficult to recycle because the two materials require different processing methods, and not all recycling centers have the equipment to deal with such requirements. Despite these obstacles, advances in technology are helping to address some of these limitations, making textile recycling an increasingly viable option for dealing with the mountains of fabric waste we produce.

One of the major issues at the heart of textile recycling, however, isn’t just that the recycling process is full of challenges — it’s that there’s too much stuff to begin with! Fast fashion fads and trends lead to overconsumption and overproduction at the source of the textile industry, so only by addressing those issues will any lasting change occur.

Until then, though, recycling textiles and fabrics is our way of giving new life to old products and contributing to a more circular economy. By participating in textile recycling, we can all play a part in reducing waste, conserving resources and promoting a more sustainable future for the fashion industry and beyond.

Good luck!

Pin it!

Featured photo by SIL Group on Unsplash