The Reality of Recycling Textiles
One of the most common suggestions for fighting waste in the fashion industry is to recycle the textiles we use from discarded clothes. However, the process is much harder than we consumers think, and the process of recycling textiles can lead to more harm than good. The most common textiles and fabrics used in clothing today are cottons, linen, wool, silk, rayon, nylon, and polyester. And yet, the only biodegradable ones are cotton, linen, silk and wool, However, the only fabrics that have any established systems for recycling and reusing are the biodegradable natural fabrics.
Cotton
This is a natural biodegradable fiber, which makes the recycling process inherently easier than most fabrics. Organic cotton fibers can decompose in less than six months, but due to the composition of the fibers, it becomes difficult to recycle because the durability decreases after a few cycles. During the recycling process it is also often gets cross-contaminated. The clothing that gets sent to be recycled isn’t always 100% cotton, making it harder to keep the fibers pure throughout the process.
Linen
Made from flax plants, this fabric is also one of the most sustainable in the clothing industry. Once in the landfill, this material only takes two weeks to decompose. The process for manufacturing linen consumes more carbon dioxide than it puts out, and requires less water to produce than cotton, making it a net zero garment. The biggest downfall with this fabric isthe treating that happens during production. The dyeing process changes the strength of the fabric and cross contaminates it for reuse, similar to cotton.
Wool
Recycling is the only way wool can be reused; it allows the fabric to be used for another 20-30 years. Wool is made from harvesting the hairs of animals and spinning them into a fabric for garments. It has one of the most established pathways for recycling. Options range from re-engineering, closed loop and open looped system.
Silk
The production of silk usually is done with the captivity of silkworms. The harvesting and reeling of thousands of cocoons into thread takes about seven weeks to fully complete. The chemicals required to produce silk raises questions on the ethicality due to the damage workers sustain.
Fabrics like polyester and nylon do actually degrade in landfills, but take hundreds of years to decompose. Which is obviously not helpful with the current problems we’ve seen arise in recent years.
Another common issue is that amongst all the fabrics mentioned, biodegradable or otherwise, is the cost and time required to recycle these fibers. So, to pick up where these large companies won’t, here are three things you can do to help advance the research and development of recycled clothing:
Shop Recycled Clothing: Try and avoid inorganic fabrics like polyester, rayon, and nylon. Instead, look for your organic fibers or clothing from recycled fibers. By buying more of these you are showing the manufacturers where the demand is.
Donate: Not only can you donate clothing to organizations dedicated to recycling textiles, you can also donate money to back the researchers that are developing methods for the manufacturers to use.
Start A Conversation: One of the best ways to spread awareness is simply starting a conversation on the topic to get people involved. Sometimes, getting the message to the right audience is all it takes to ignite change.
The fashion industry has been established for well over 200 years, but the recycling industry for textiles is still relatively new. With the promise of more funding and the rising awareness people have of the harm being done to the Earth, we can only hope that the coming years will show more success towards reducing and reusing our textile waste.
Written by Marilyn Uwaezuoke
Marilyn is a graduate of Miami University and is currently getting her MBA from the University of Louisville. Her interests in technology and fashion have put her on a journey dedicated to finding the intersection between the two. She believes technology can help push the fashion industry toward a green future and is excited to share her discoveries along the way.