Recycled Fibers_ an Overview

77 International Journal of Fiber and Textile Research 2014; 4(4): 77-82

ISSN 2277-7156

Review Article

Recycled fibers: An overview

Dinesh Bhatia1, Ankush Sharma2 and Urvashi Malhotra3

Department of Textile Technology 1,2Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar (India) 144011

3J.N.G.E.C Sundernagar, Himachal Pradesh (India) 175018

Cell: +91 8054603399, E mail: [email protected]

Received 30 October 2014; accepted 13 November 2014

Abstract

Today, in the world of modern technologies, the demand for production is increasing so rapidly in all aspects of the

required living commodities. In order to meet all the required demands, over production and utilization of all resources

seem not enough. Therefore, the increasing demand for textile making huge clothing production is not only based on

demand for more population but it’s also changing new fashion habits as well. Improving raw material exploitation has

become the most important challenge facing scientific and industrial community. Textile production wastes are undesirable

but inevitable by- products in many manufacturing process (spinning, weaving, knitting, or garment manufacturing) and

are frequently undervalued. However, if one can convert such wastes into useful product economically, there will be great

contribution to the market. In this paper attempt has been made to give idea about different types of waste produced in

textile industries (spinning, weaving, knitting, or garment manufacturing) and also types of waste which can be used again

in recycling process to make some value added product. Also give different types of methods by which this waste can be

used to make new high quality products from existing material.

© 2014 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved

Keywords: Fibers, Recycled, Textile and Waste.

1. Introduction

A situation of production waste has developed since the

industrial revolution. As demand increased, the

manufacturing industry evolved and manual labour systems

were replaced by mechanized manufacturing. This allowed

textile to be produced cheaper, quicker and in vast

qualities. This has resulted in an overabundance of mass

produced cheap and often poor quality products and large

volume of textile fibers waste that has limited end use

applications. Textile production wastes cover all those raw

materials which are either accruing or being used in the

textile industry such as production remnants, wastes from

fibre and filament manufacture, wastes from spinning,

weaving, knitting and making-up as well as reprocessed

materials.

Textile production wastes fall into three categories : (a)

trashy waste - waste which requires cleaning before

reprocessing, examples are blow room wastes, carding

waste, card flat strips and filter waste; (b) clean waste -

waste which requires no further cleaning, examples are

comber waste, card, draw frame and combed sliver waste,

filter waste from draw frames, speed frames, ring spinning

frames and rotor spinning machines; (c) hard waste - waste

which requires opening on special machines, examples are

twisted roving, yarns, and textile fabrics (woven rags and

knitted rags) [1]. In the past, waste produced during the

manufacturing processes (spinning, weaving and knitting)

was normally collected and sold to the waste spinner for

relatively low prices. Certain blending of wastes with good

materials was necessary in order to upgrade the quality of

waste yarns produced and prevent excessive end breakage

rate during spinning.

With ever increasing price hike of both cotton and

manmade fibres, most of the export avenues downing their

shutters, heavy investments on sophisticated machines and

modernisation with doubtful returns and above all labour

demanding ever increasing wages with disproportionate

and decreasing productivity, many of the textile mills are in

doldrums. Inflation and increasing unemployment have

further reduced demands for garments and clothing. Hence

in order to survive the heavy competition, it is absolutely

essential that waste incurred during manufacturing

processes should be brought within critical limits or

recycled that waste to produce a value added products in

place of selling it at low price.

To overcome this problems number of company produced

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different methods of recycling process. The company

Patagonia in the US now recycles many garments made

from Polartec polyester fabric [2]. In Turkey, recycled

polypropylene is reinforced with silk and cotton waste,

resulting in a composite with improved mechanical and

physical properties [3]. Upholstery and automotive needle

punch fabric manufacturers experience an increased

demand for polyester recycled fibres, for which

conventional recycling processes of making reclaimed

fibres can well be used [4]. Denim cutting-room scraps

pose an environmental and economic problem. Burlington

Industries and North Carolina State University have at last

come up with a solution and have developed a technique to

make jeans, in part, from reclaimed denim. The denim is

made from 50% reclaimed denim yarn and 50% virgin

cotton yarn [5]. Another innovative use of denim scraps is

the manufacturing of unbleached 100% cotton rag paper,

called Blue Jean Bond, which is undertaken by Esleeck in

the US.

Products made from recycled fabric waste include

nonwovens used for insulation, padding, upholstery, oil

filters, hospital drapes and gowns, as well as a variety of

absorbent products like disposable wipes, geotextiles,

carpets, fibrefill and spun-bonded fabrics from

polyethylene. Many other products such as trims from

unravelled knits are also manufactured [4, 6]. Flocked

fibres from finely cut fabric waste those are applied to

adhesive-coated surfaces and then used for various

purposes for instance packaging materials for jewellery, is

another practice [7].

A process for using recycled waste material for producing a

textile product is provided. This process can include

collecting different categories of waste material from a

variety of textile formation processes. The process can also

include selecting specific categories of waste material to be

blended together depending on the final textile product to

be produced. Recycling of textile waste gives fiber a

second life in a rejuvenated life cycle and thus increases the

total value of that recycled fibre. Still most of recycled

fibres end up in low value products, so the development of

new higher value products from recycled fibres will

encourage utilization of the waste fibres and contribute to

the future sustainability of industry.

Today, recycling has become a necessity not only because

of the shortage of any item but also to control pollution.

There are three ways to reduce pollution. One is to use

newer technologies that pollute less. The other is to

effectively treat the effluent so that the final effluent

conforms to the expected norms. The third and the most

practical way are to recycle the waste several times before

it is discharged [8].

In the study, the attempt has made to describe the wastage

amount of various textile process along with their

classification, in addition to that it also describe textile

recycling techniques. The target is to form different

categories of waste produced from different sources like,

spinning, weaving, knitting and garment manufacturing. It

includes the waste that is recyclable along with its

recycling process; on the other hand different application

areas are also introduced.

2. Types of waste

2.1 Preconsumer Waste

Pre-consumer waste is a material that was discarded

before it was ready for consumer use. Pre-consumer

recycled materials can be broken down and remade into

similar or different materials, or can be sold "as is" to third

party buyers who then use those materials for consumer

products. Preconsumer textile waste usually refers to waste

by-products from fiber, yarn, textile, and apparel

manufacturing. It can be mill ends, scraps, clippings, or

goods damaged during production, and most is reclaimed

and reused as raw materials for the automotive, furniture,

mattress, coarse yarn, home furnishing, paper, and other

industries [9].

2.2 Postconsumer Waste

Postconsumer textile waste usually refers to any product

that the individual no longer needs and decides to discard

due to wear or damage and normally includes used or worn

clothing, bed linens, towels, and other consumer textiles.

Postconsumer waste which can be recovered are clothing,

drapes/curtains, towels, sheets and blankets, clean rags and

sewing remnants, table cloths belts hand bags paired shoes

and socks [10].

3. Classification of waste on the basis of production

industry:

Different types of waste produced in different types of

production industries are given in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1 Types of waste produced in different production

industries.

Production Type Types of waste

Spinning waste,

yarn waste

Opening Waste, Carding Waste, Sliver Waste, Roving Waste, Combed Noil, Bonda soft waste,

Pneumafil Waste, Bonda hard waste from ring

spinning, winding and doubling.

Clothing waste Knitting waste fiber and yarn, Woven waste fiber

and yarn, Woven and knit cutting waste.

Nonwovens

production waste

Thermally and chemically bonded, lightweight

webs, needled webs, coated, uncoated.

Carpet mill waste Needle felt, tufted carpet, cut waste, coated,

uncoated

Used textiles Old clothing

4. Benefits of Recycling Waste

Using recycling waste can benefit both business and the

environment by:

Reducing cost of purchasing materials.

Increasing profitability.

Minimizing costs of disposal and treatments.

Minimizing environmental impacts by reducing use of

new raw materials and producing products from earlier

one.

Textile recycling requires less energy than any other

type of recycling.

Textile recycling does not create any new hazardous

waste or harmful by-products.

5. Method of converting old clothing into fibers

Before going into different applications of recycled fibers

firstly we know about the procedure of converting old

clothes into fibres. Old clothes are converted into fibers by

following operations. (1) Freed from dust. (2) Carefully

sorted. (3) Oiled so they will be soft and pliable. (4) Then

http://www.faqs.org/knowledge/Textile.html


converted into strip- form of particular dimensions

according to specification of rag puller. (5) Then, the strips

were distributed evenly on the feed lattice. As the strips

were delivered by means of feed roller, the torn-out

garment strips were torn-off by the high speed spiked

beater. The fibres produced were collected at the container

while the unfilled-opened strips were collected at the

separator for re-processing [11].

6. Fiber Recycling Technologies

A vast number of products are made from reprocessed fiber

because much of this fiber is re-spun into new yarns or

manufactured into woven, knitted, or non-woven

fabrications, or upholstery material, or composite

biomaterial, or other methods including garment linings,

household items, furniture upholstery, insulation materials,

automobile sound absorption materials, automobile

carpeting, and toys [12].

6.1 Yarns from Recycled Fibres The waste produced in a textile mill is an important factor

in determining the operating cost and therefore in

influencing mill profits. The recovered fibers from waste

can be used to produce blended yarns (waste/virgin fibers)

in different portions. These fibers can be reused for the

open end spinning and friction spinning but nowadays

attempts on ring spinning are also in progress. The

requirements of quality imposed on the finished products

allow only the addition of tiny quantities of recovered

fibers. Therefore the proportion of secondary raw material

blended with primary material must be carefully studied. In

a study focused to the rotor spinning process concluded that

up to 20% of recovered fibers can be blended with primary

raw material without noticeable changes in quality. It is

found from the studies that the introduction of 15 and 25%

waste fiber into the cotton will not affect the tenacity, the

irregularity and the rotor yarn elongation. Results also

indicated that the recovered fibers have a good clean ability

which allows its blend with virgin fibres. This yarn can be

woven or knitted for some special purpose but till a date it

is not able to fulfil the work of virgin fibres. Researchers

claimed that yarn can be used for specific use if waste is

selected in specific amounts from the various waste

categories and mixed together properly. For example, a

formula that includes the percentage by weight of the type

of waste from the various waste categories can be used that

is based on characteristics of the yarn to be produced.

Researcher make yarn of 100 % cotton waste (30% ring

spinning waste; 30% card waste; 20% weaving yarn waste;

and 20% combed waste yarn) that has a count of 24/1 Ne

which can be used for a warp yarn in producing a woven

bed sheeting. Attempt on making Dref yarns from recycled

fibres also shows good results but as raw materials used is

totally waste materials so fabrics produced of course

belongs to cheap fabrics which are suggested to be used in

the field of cleaning cloths, wrapping cloths and covering

cloths [11].

6.2 Upholstery material From Recycled Fibers

At least 3-4% of the weft yarn including catch ends is

unavoidable waste in every type of weaving machine. The

catch selvedge yarn strip is sold at throw away price. The

fibres are separated by the garnetter who uses them for

stuffing of pillows and quilts. Some use this waste for

making fancy composites for floor covering. By using

100% wool yarn for 100% wool weft or polyester-wool

blended yarn, the wool rich catch selvedge can be teased to

recover fibres to feed to the woollen cards to produce

blankets which have a market in cooler regions. This is a

cost effective solution and provides for the wool rich raw

materials needed for producing blankets [8].

6.3 Composite Biomaterials from Recycled Fibers

Protein fiber wastes such as by-products from the wool

textile industry, poor quality raw wools not fit for spinning,

represent an important renewable source of biopolymers.

Hairs and feathers are largely made of keratin, that could be

recovered and transformed into new materials with

innovative properties suitable for textile or non-textile uses

(fibers, compostable packaging, disposables, agricultural

films, membranes and coatings). Wool fibers when

disrupted in their histological components attaching the

intercellular cement by ultrasonic-enzyme treatments, the

resulting cells were embedded in a polymeric film-forming

matrix of cellulose acetate, of obtaining new composite

material, suitable for film production and filament

spinning. Cellulose acetate is largely used in the production

of yarns for textiles, filters, plastics; electrical insulations,

photographic films, transparent and pigmented sheets,

medical and sanitary application since it exhibit a

remarkable resistance to moulds and bacteria. Nevertheless,

cellulose acetate is highly flammable and very difficult to

dye. Plastics and textile fibres with novel properties, such

as improved fire resistance, moisture regain, dyeing

performances and colour effects, handle and look might be

produced from new composite materials combining

properties of man-made and protein polymers which are

naturally hydrophilic, non-burning and dyed well by most

of the commercial dye-stuffs. Improvement of the thermal

properties has been obtained with respect to the pure

cellulose acetate film. Cortical cells from wool also give to

cellulose acetate a more hydrophilic character and,

potentially, other performances typical of wool, such as

novel dyeing properties and colour effects, which are very

important characteristics for textile applications [13].

6.4 Nonwovens made from Recycled Fibres

Depending on product functions, reclaimed fibres can be

looked upon as conventional in technical textiles,

particularly in nonwoven (mobility textiles which mainly

serve to cover up surfaces or to insulate materials, agro-

textiles, and geo-textiles which are used to protect soil

against erosion). In all these cases, reclaimed fibres are

used because of low prices, or because they merely cover

something up. However, reclaimed fibres are also applied

in nonwoven to utilise highly valuable functional

components. This concerns fibres, which would not be

available at a competitive price if made from primary

material, such as:

The high- grade woollen hair found in laminated

nonwoven used to make motor vehicle seats.

Aramide fibers used to protect against cutting or

impact penetration.

Micro- fiber materials used for insulation or cleaning.

Geo - textiles may be looked upon as an ideal field for the


Table 6.1 Requirements to be met by technical textiles.

Application Most urgent requirement to be met by recycled fibres

Polymer Fineness Strength Length Colour

Reinforcing fibre X X

Wrap yarn for technical textiles X X X X

Nonwoven to protect against erosion X X

Geotextile nonwoven X X X X

application of reclaimed fibres. To make them, it is

important to use well-selected textile waste and to exactly

tune the process parameters when breaking it up. In this

way quality requirement below in Table 6.1 can be met

[14].

6.5 Other Method of Using recycled Fibers.

6.5.1 Insulation Materials

Insulation materials are an important part in construction,

material are used for the ventilation purposes and

conduction, radiation and thermal insulation. Therefore

Insulation materials are made from textile waste, insulation

material is the key to keep balance of energy consumption.

Insulation material made up of textile waste is shown in

Figure 6.1.

Figure 6.1 The insulation material made from textile waste.

6.5.2 Carpet underlay

Generally carpet underlay is the thin layer of cushioning

which is used in different form of carpets which are used

for different purposes. Therefore, the categories and types

of underlay vary like, sponge rubber, foam and crumb

rubber. Thus, it is also used in the carpet in order to

moisture noise and heat. Some examples of underlay carpet

are shown in Figure 6.2.

Figure 6.2 Example of underlay carpet.

6.5.3 Stuffed toys

Stuffed toys are made of different type of textile, normally

textile is recycled. In this kind of toys are made from plain

clothes and pile textile, in addition there are other type

of textile like, cotton, synthetic fiber batting and terrycloth.

These types of toys are used for comfort as well as playing

for kids. Stuffed toys made of textile waste are shown in

Figure 6.3.

Figure 6.3 Stuffed toys made of textile waste.

6.5.4 Shoe insoles

Shoes insoles are important to make for shoes, they are

used underneath in the shoes in order to make shoes more

comfortable to wear, and they can be easily removed from

the shoes. Some examples of shoe insoles are shown in

Figure 6.4.

Figure 6.4 Example of shoe insoles.


Table 7.1 Industries which uses recycled fibres along with their application area

Industry Application Area

Nonwovens industry

Automobile industry: insulating webs for sound and heat insulation, hard-

pressed parts for floors, side and seat linings, trunk compartment, luggage dump

etc., bottom felts for carpeting, stitch-knit nonwovens (Moliwatt, Molivlies).

Furniture industry

Mattress covers, mattress webs, bottom webs for seating in furniture, upholstery

material, wadding material.

Wiping cloths

Needled webs.

Carpet industry Bottom felts for carpeting

Building industry

Sound and heat insulating webs, filter products, nonwoven coating substrates,

and footfall sound insulation. Textile shreds as filling material for insulating

webs, as aggregate for textile concrete in road construction.

Textile industry

Spinning waste, blended yarns or 100% waste yarns for spinning to the DREF

or rotor spinning process (wiping cloths, blankets, and home furnishings),

comforters made of acrylic knit goods waste.

Agriculture industry Covering webs, seed carrier webs.

Paper industry Wearing felts for paper production, Crude felts for bitumen roofing felts.

7. Uses and Ranges of Application for Recycled Textile

Fibres

Reclaimed fibres can be manufactured from a variety of

textile waste. Both quality and process ability of such fibres

depend on the kind of waste. Well-known are the pure

sorted fibres of high-quality which are achieved from

spinning-fibre waste. In contrast, reclaimed fibres made

from end-of-life textiles are of much poorer quality. They

will rarely be found of homogenous fiber type.

There are many ways open to using reclaimed fibres in both

textile and non-textile products. The suitability of processes

depends on waste characteristics and on how much they

cost. Yarns are a frequent example of how reclaimed fibres

can be used. Yarns made from reclaimed fibres may serve

to produce fabrics for garment and household textiles as

well as for simple technical applications. However, as yarns

made from reclaimed fibres, in most cases, are grey or dark

by nature, they are not frequently used in garment or

household textiles. With technical yarns, colour ranks in

second place. Even special-purpose fibre materials are

made into reclaimed fibres today.

In the following, a few examples of possible uses in the

snonwovens, carpet, building, textiles, agricultural and

paper industries are given, but new ranges of application

are opened up every day (see Figure 7.1). The various uses

mainly depend on how the textile and nonwovens waste is

formed during the individual process stages. This will then

determine the possible recycling process. Consequently,

various technologies are required for reprocessing. Some

industries along with their application area which uses

recycled fibres are shown in Table 7.1.

8. Limitation of Recycling

Promoting waste avoidance on purely environmental

reasons may not be sufficient. As costs for collection

and disposal services are not linked directly with the

quantity and sorting of wastes generated through

charging,

There is no financial incentive for waste producers to

reduce waste.

Low values, high transportation cost or lack of market

demand for recovered materials particularly.

The predominance of small and medium recovery and

recycling enterprises discourages investments in waste

recovery technologies.

9. Conclusion

A large amount of textile waste is disposed of in landfills

each year. That not only poses economic and

environmental problems to the society but also represents a

severe waste of resources. Although the environmental

awareness of the general public has increased significantly

in recent years, still their willingness to actively participate

in waste reduction by recycling needs to be enhanced. Fiber

recycling technologies, usage and range of application of

recycled fibres described in this paper will become a handy

tool to assimilate the waste as value added product, which

waste was earlier considered as garbage and sold unduly.

So people those are impetuous for waste disposal would

think rationally about the rejuvenation of waste fibers for

raise the profit for their firm and also it reflects noble cause

for society by reducing the contamination in environment.


Figure 7.1 Reuse and recyclability of textile waste.

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Source of support: Nil; Conflict of interest: None declared

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