Cotton recycling

rdf:langString Cotton recycling

rdf:langString Cotton recycling is the process of converting cotton fabric into fibers that can be reused into other textile products. Recycled cotton is primarily made from pre-consumer cotton which is excess textile waste from clothing production. It is less commonly made from post-consumer cotton which is discarded textile waste from consumers such as second hand clothing. The recycling process includes assessing the quality of cotton fibers through systematics collection, manually sorting the materials, and undergoing a mechanical or chemical process to break down the textile fabric into reusable fibers. In the mechanical process, fabrics are torn into individual fibers through a machine, and in the chemical process, the fabrics's chemical properties are broken down through chemical reaction processes such as Lyocell process and dissolution in ionic liquids. The mechanical process is the primary way to recycle textiles because the chemical process is not commercially used. Recycled cotton is less durable than virgin cotton due to the shorter length of recycled cotton fibers which result from mechanical recycling. As a result, recycled cotton requires the addition of additional materials such as polyester to improve durability. Therefore, recycled cotton is often used in products that do not require high-quality cotton fibers such as casual clothing and home building materials. Harvesting raw cotton is a resource intensive process that uses a lot of water, energy, and chemicals. Cotton recycling mitigates wastage and can be a more sustainable alternative to disposal because products can be made out of existing textiles instead of raw materials, therefore, reducing the resources required to harvest raw cotton. However, there are costs associated with cotton recycling, such as the risk of problem shifting and the impact of transporting collected materials which could exceed its intended benefits. Researchers and governments are looking for new technologies and industrial management solutions to improve the social impact of the collection processes for recycled cotton.