Perspectives on Textile Waste Recycling

Abstract

Collecting, sorting, and subsequent processing of textile waste are critical global challenges. Currently, the textile industry is ranked as the third-largest environmental polluter, following the food and construction sectors. The textile industry, due to its long technological chains and high consumption of water and energy resources, generates about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Demand for household and technical textiles made from natural and chemical fibers is increasing every day. The limited availability of existing resources necessitates the rational use of raw materials and the production of textile materials from recycled fibers. Among the primary pathways for reducing textile waste is the transition to a circular economy, which aims to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency. The introduction of non-traditional spinning technologies (spun yarn by bonding fibers) will be a significant step forward in textile waste recycling, as this technology allows the formation of yarn from fibers of any length.