Strategic planning, brand campaigns, and even individual product selections in the textile sector are all being guided by the principle of sustainability. Recycled cotton and other materials are becoming increasingly popular as a sustainability subject.
Although the idea of using recycled cotton in textiles and apparel is not new, interest in this material has increased as manufacturers, brands, and retailers assess the environmental impact of their supply chains. Cotton isn't usually included in the recycling conversation with plastic, cardboard, and glass.
Cotton is the most widely produced textile, yet its production has a major impact on the environment, especially on freshwater supplies. One entire ocean dried up as a direct result of the cotton business. Important issues that have emerged as a result of cotton cultivation include the removal of land and the use of toxic pesticides and chemicals to protect crops. The environmental damage caused by expanding global consumption is only exacerbated by the rise of rapid fashion. Needless to say, a change is required.
Many options exist for us as consumers to cut back on our cotton consumption. One option is to purchase fewer, higher-quality garments and cotton products, to shop secondhand, or to find creative new uses for existing garments and cotton products. Choosing products manufactured from organic cotton, which is farmed without the use of toxic chemicals and pesticides, is another option. Three-quarters of consumers are interested in purchasing recycled cotton goods. Creating cotton fibre from cotton fabric for further use in textile production is one definition of recycled cotton. Rather than sending it to a landfill or the incinerator, the object can now be repurposed into something else.
FAQs
Certified organic cotton is cotton fiber that has been grown without pesticides and fertilizers, through a process that preserves biodiversity, biological cycles and soil well-being. The world’s leading producers of organic cotton are India, China and Turkey.
Even taking into account that, although the process of cultivation of organic cotton is “cleaner” as it does not use chemical additives in its fertilization and fumigation, both this crop and the conventional cotton and its harvesting process are intensive in the use of water and energy.
Sources of recycled cotton fall into two main categories:
- Post-industrial/pre-consumer
- Excess material from the production of yarn, fabrics and textile products
- Post-consumer
- Used garments
- Upholstery
- Towels
- Household items
Recycled cotton is collected from industry or consumer waste. Items are first separated by type and colour, then shredded by a machine into smaller pieces and further into crude fibre. It can then be respun back into yarn for reuse and given a new life as another product.
The process of shredding the fabric into its cruder forms is quite stressful. This compromises the quality of the new fibre, making it shorter and harder to spin. Consequently, the new fibres are blended with other virgin materials, such as plastic or cotton, to improve strength and make them suitable for reuse.
Global Recycled Standard (GRS) - international, voluntary, full product standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of Recycled Content, chain of custody, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions. The goal of the GRS is to increase the use of Recycled materials in products and reduce/eliminate the harm caused by its production.
Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) is the world’s leading certification standard for organic textiles including both ecological and social criteria. GOTS covers every step in the production process from the fibre to the finished garment.
Whilst organic cotton farming uses no synthetic agricultural chemicals, such as fertilizers or pesticides, and is certainly an improvement over conventional methods, it doesn’t tackle the issue that farming cotton is highly water-intensive and still damages eco-hydrology.
The Definition of Recycled Cotton
To reuse cotton fabric as cotton fibre in new textiles is a broad definition of Recycled cotton. Sometimes called "regenerated cotton," "reclaimed cotton," or even "shoddy," recycled cotton goes by many names. The term "recycled content" refers to any part of a product that was previously used and then recycled, repaired, or remade. There are primarily two generators of Textile recycling:
- Pre-consumer: materials that have not yet reached the consumer market include yarn and fabric remnants.
- Post-consumer: clothing, upholstery, and towels are just some of the many goods that can be recycled after they have been used by the consumer.
In terms of sheer volume, the most important source of recycled cotton is industrial byproducts like cutting scraps that never made it to the consumer market. Sorting through post-consumer garbage is more labor-intensive because of the greater variety of colours and fabrics involved.
Method for Regenerating Fiber From Waste Fabric
The bulk of cotton that is recycled is collected by mechanical means. The first step is to categorise the textiles and materials by colour. Fabrics are sorted, then processed via a machine that shreds them into yarn and then into raw fibre. This treatment is quite damaging to the fibre. When shredding, it is normal for fibres to break and tangle. Yarns are spun from the raw fibre and reused in subsequent manufacturing processes. Quality-wise, recycled fiber recycled fibre can never measure up to the standards set by virgin fibre. Fiber length and length uniformity will be affected, which in turn will restrict the final application.
Benefits And Drawbacks Of Using Recycled Cotton
As with any topic, there are pros and cons to using recycled cotton, and we've compiled them here.
Benefits
It might drastically cut down on how much electricity and water the fashion business uses. Growing and producing virgin cotton requires significantly more water than what is required to produce cotton from recycled materials. In this way, many items are saved from their eventual fate in landfills. Recycled cotton can be reused to make a wide variety of low-complexity or one-use items including insulation, mop heads, cleaning rags, cushioning, and so on.
- Low-quality goods such as insulation, mop heads, rags, and stuffing can all benefit from recycled cotton.
- Many materials can be saved from being thrown away by using the recycling process. The annual amount of textile waste is estimated to be 25 billion pounds by the Council for Textile Recycling.
- When you use a product that has already been processed, you save resources like electricity, water, and colour. New material production is offset to achieve these cost benefits. Typically, pre-consumer textile waste is used to create recycled cotton yarns, so the yarns are already dyed when they are collected.
- To some extent, reusing materials can cancel out the benefits of reduced carbon dioxide and fossil fuel emissions. Some of these cost savings may be offset by the time and effort required to collect, sort, and transport cotton scraps or old clothes.
Drawbacks
Fabrics made from recycled cotton may or may not have other additives, depending on their intended function. Since the treatment alters the fiber's characteristics like length, homogeneity, and resistance, it must be combined with another fibre (like polyester) to be enhanced. No endless recycling is possible. Ginned virgin cotton is required for use with the test and trial equipment. Then the test outcomes may be skewed because of the fiber's unique packaging and orientation. Regenerated cotton is considerably more likely to be tainted by the introduction of foreign fibres. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and fossil fuel use can be reduced by recycling or reusing materials. Some of these cost-savings may be offset by the time and money required to collect, sort, and transport clothes and fabric remnants for recycling.
- Cotton can't be continually recycled because it can't be spun into strong and durable yarn on its own.
- It is important to consider the final purpose while determining the recycled cotton content. An increase or decrease in the percentage of recycled materials used will have an effect on the yarn's and fabric's evenness, strength, and uniformity.
- The price of recycled yarn is typically much more than the price of regular, virgin cotton yarn.
- To ensure accurate results, only use testing equipment designed for virgin, ginned cotton. The variation in fibre packing and orientation might occasionally confound testing results.
- In contrast, virgin cotton has a significantly lower chance of being tainted by other fibres than recycled cotton does. When planning the logistics of recycling, remember to factor in the inclusion of stitching, sewing thread, and trace levels of spandex.
Recycling Initiatives in Business and the Fashion Industry
Many well-known clothing companies today have recycling programmes that begin at their very own retail outlets. Many others actively seek out consumers to collect their unwanted clothing for reuse or recycling. Consumer perks like discount coupons and loyalty points are being offered in some of these initiatives.
Developments in Organic Cotton and Recycled Cotton
Consider using virgin cotton and touting its natural and sustainable qualities as the sustainability discourse shifts towards a larger need to increase the longevity of clothing and fashion accessories rather than promoting a disposable business model.
To lessen the amount of textiles thrown out during production, recycled cotton can be used to make lower-quality goods or blended with other fibres to make fashionable items. Finally, the clothing industry is a good example of an end use where there are still obstacles to be solved.
While there is a place for recycled cotton in the finished product, the difficulties in production and for the consumer result from the need to shorten the fibres in the recycled cotton. And since the fibre separation procedure weakens the garment, it can't be recycled indefinitely after it's been recycled once; hence, recycled fabrics can't be recycled indefinitely.
Tips for Maintaining Your Recycled Cotton Garments
One of the best ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle is to take care of the clothes you already own. Fabrics made from recycled cotton can be washed and dried quickly. But to keep them lasting as long as possible, you should avoid typical pitfalls. Taking good care of your clothes will increase the number of times you can wear them. It lessens the use of scarce resources and cuts down on pollution, emissions, and garbage.
Washing
Clothing made from recycled cotton is best washed in cold water to keep its quality and to save water and energy. Washing machines can be used, but only at temperatures below 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Washing speeds should not exceed 600 revolutions per minute, and harsh detergents should be avoided.
Drying
Clothes dried on a clothesline use less energy than other methods of drying. Dry them outside in the fresh air instead of in the dryer. It saves a tonne of money, time, and carbon emissions while keeping your clothes in pristine condition.
Ironing
You should only iron your garments if absolutely required. Wrinkles are commonplace in regenerated cotton. Fabrics can easily be damaged by ironing at too high of a temperature, so always use the lowest setting feasible.
The Effects of Recycled Cotton on the Environment
There is no more widely grown cash crop than cotton. Cotton is used in approximately 50% of all textiles. Every year, the world produces about 30.3 million tonnes of cotton, according to the The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Nonetheless, the majority of cotton farming practices are not long-term viable.
According to the Global Fashion Agenda, conventional cotton production uses 16% of all pesticides, 7% of all herbicides, and 4% of all nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers worldwide. Using highly toxic synthetic chemicals, cotton producers negatively impact both human health and ecosystems. They poison the ground, the water supply, and the people who live there. Some potentially harmful chemicals used in cotton growing are subject to usage limitations in Europe and the United States. In spite of this, they are still widely used for farming in several East Asian nations.
Natural resources are conserved and agricultural contamination is decreased when recycled cotton is used instead of conventional cotton. It lessens the damage done to the environment by the textile industry by increasing the useful life of fibres already in use. When compared to utilising traditional cotton, producing clothing from recycled cotton could result in significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, chemicals used, water used, and energy used. Healthy, safe, and renewable, recycled cotton is typically purchased from businesses who employ a wide range of eco-friendly procedures.
Because of its strong environmental performance and commitment to responsible resource management, recycled cotton is increasingly popular among brands. The environmental effect of fashion is greatly influenced by the processes involved in obtaining and processing raw materials and producing textiles. Sustainable fabrics, such as recycled cotton, can lessen the environmental toll of the clothing industry.
An Alternative To Recycled Cotton
The Fraunhofer IAP research team simplifies the process of recovering cotton clothes. The group's efforts are in service of Renewcell (sometimes spelt re:newcell), a Swedish sustainable apparel manufacturer that practises circular fashion. Circulose is a novel, patented material manufactured from cellulosic textile waste, and the firm behind it is called Renewcell.
Through this novel procedure, cotton textiles can be recycled into viscose filaments for use in the production of new textiles. It has the potential to reduce the textile industry's negative impact on the environment. Jeans, shirts, t-shirts, skirts, sweaters, and other clothes can be recycled into viscose with this method. There is no problem with scaling up production with this.
For the first time, scientists have been able to turn cellulose from recycled cotton into viscose fibre, a regenerated cellulosic fibre comparable to lyocell, acetate, and modal. This semi-synthetic cotton waste fibre could help the fashion industry become more inclusive, regenerative, and circular. To create new fibres, a viscous solution is dissolved into a spinning solution. The end product is a yarn spun entirely from cellulosic fibres that performs as well as, if not better than, other yarns spun from conventional fibres. Using closed-loop technologies that recover and reuse nearly all water and chemicals used in production, it is possible to produce in an environmentally beneficial manner.
What This Means, Ultimately
It's not just one or the other kind of cotton; it's both. To get the best potential outcomes from recycling, more effort must be made in research, development, and innovation, and in the cultivation of cotton in a way that is ethical, responsible, and beneficial to workers and the environment. Both options are valuable additions to the fashion industry's quest to become more environmentally and socially responsible.
Conclusion
Cotton is the most widely produced textile, yet its production has a major impact on the environment. One entire ocean dried up as a direct result of the cotton business. The environmental damage caused by expanding global consumption is only exacerbated by the rise of rapid fashion. Three-quarters of consumers are interested in purchasing recycled cotton goods. The bulk of cotton that is recycled is collected by mechanical means.
Fabrics are sorted, then processed via a machine that shreds them into yarn and then raw fibre. Recycled cotton can be reused to make a wide variety of low-complexity or one-use items including insulation, cleaning rags, cushioning, and stuffing. Cotton can't be continually recycled. Regenerated cotton is considerably more likely to be tainted by the introduction of foreign fibres. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and fossil fuel use can be reduced by recycling or reusing materials.
An increase or decrease in the percentage of recycled materials used will have an effect on the yarn's evenness, strength, and uniformity. Fabrics made from recycled cotton can be washed and dried quickly. Taking good care of your clothes will increase the number of times you can wear them. Cotton lessens the use of scarce resources and cuts down on pollution. Using highly toxic synthetic chemicals, cotton producers negatively impact both human health and ecosystems.
The environmental impact of fashion is greatly influenced by the processes involved in obtaining and processing raw materials and producing textiles. Recycled cotton lessens the damage done to the environment by the textile industry by increasing the useful life of fibres already in use. Producing clothing from recycled cotton could result in significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, chemicals, water and energy used. Scientists have been able to turn cellulose from recycled cotton into viscose fibre, a regenerated cellulosic fibre comparable to lyocell, acetate, and modal. This semi-synthetic cotton waste fibre could help the fashion industry become more inclusive and regenerative. Using closed-loop technologies that recover and reuse nearly all water and chemicals used in production, it is possible to produce in an environmentally beneficial manner.
Content Summary
- Strategic planning, brand campaigns, and even individual product selections in the textile sector are all being guided by the principle of sustainability.
- Recycled cotton and other materials are becoming increasingly popular as a sustainability subject.
- Although the idea of using recycled cotton in textiles and apparel is not new, interest in this material has increased as manufacturers, brands, and retailers assess the environmental impact of their supply chains.
- Cotton is the most widely produced textile, yet its production has a major impact on the environment, especially on freshwater supplies.
- The environmental damage caused by expanding global consumption is only exacerbated by the rise of rapid fashion.
- Many options exist for us as consumers to cut back on our cotton consumption.
- One option is to purchase fewer, higher-quality garments and cotton products, to shop secondhand, or to find creative new uses for existing garments and cotton products.
- Three-quarters of consumers are interested in purchasing recycled cotton goods.
- Creating cotton fibre from cotton fabric for further use in textile production is one definition of recycled cotton.
- To reuse cotton fabric as cotton fibre in new textiles is a broad definition of Recycled cotton.
- Sorting through post-consumer garbage is more labor-intensive because of the greater variety of colours and fabrics involved.
- The bulk of cotton that is recycled is collected by mechanical means.
- The first step is to categorise the textiles and materials by colour.
- Quality-wise, recycled fiber recycled fibre can never measure up to the standards set by virgin fibre.
- As with any topic, there are pros and cons to using recycled cotton, and we've compiled them here.
- It might drastically cut down on how much electricity and water the fashion business uses.
- Growing and producing virgin cotton requires significantly more water than what is required to produce cotton from recycled materials.
- In this way, many items are saved from their eventual fate in landfills.
- Recycled cotton can be reused to make a wide variety of low-complexity or one-use items including insulation, mop heads, cleaning rags, cushioning, and so on.
- Low-quality goods such as insulation, mop heads, rags, and stuffing can all benefit from recycled cotton.
- Many materials can be saved from being thrown away by using the recycling process.
- The annual amount of textile waste is estimated to be 25 billion pounds by the Council for Textile Recycling.
- When you use a product that has already been processed, you save resources like electricity, water, and colour.
- Typically, pre-consumer textile waste is used to create recycled cotton yarns, so the yarns are already dyed when they are collected.
- To some extent, reusing materials can cancel out the benefits of reduced carbon dioxide and fossil fuel emissions.
- No endless recycling is possible.
- Ginned virgin cotton is required for use with the test and trial equipment.
- Regenerated cotton is considerably more likely to be tainted by the introduction of foreign fibres.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and fossil fuel use can be reduced by recycling or reusing materials.
- Some of these cost-savings may be offset by the time and money required to collect, sort, and transport clothes and fabric remnants for recycling.
- It is important to consider the final purpose while determining the recycled cotton content.
- An increase or decrease in the percentage of recycled materials used will have an effect on the yarn's and fabric's evenness, strength, and uniformity.
- The price of recycled yarn is typically much more than the price of regular, virgin cotton yarn.
- To ensure accurate results, only use testing equipment designed for virgin, ginned cotton.
- In contrast, virgin cotton has a significantly lower chance of being tainted by other fibres than recycled cotton does.
- When planning the logistics of recycling, remember to factor in the inclusion of stitching, sewing thread, and trace levels of spandex.
- Many others actively seek out consumers to collect their unwanted clothing for reuse or recycling.
- Consider using virgin cotton and touting its natural and sustainable qualities as the sustainability discourse shifts towards a larger need to increase the longevity of clothing and fashion accessories rather than promoting a disposable business model.
- To lessen the amount of textiles thrown out during production, recycled cotton can be used to make lower-quality goods or blended with other fibres to make fashionable items.
- Finally, the clothing industry is a good example of an end use where there are still obstacles to be solved.
- One of the best ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle is to take care of the clothes you already own.
- Fabrics made from recycled cotton can be washed and dried quickly.
- But to keep them lasting as long as possible, you should avoid typical pitfalls.
- Taking good care of your clothes will increase the number of times you can wear them.
- Clothing made from recycled cotton is best washed in cold water to keep its quality and to save water and energy.
- Dry them outside in the fresh air instead of in the dryer.
- It saves a tonne of money, time, and carbon emissions while keeping your clothes in pristine condition.
- You should only iron your garments if absolutely required.
- Wrinkles are commonplace in regenerated cotton.
- There is no more widely grown cash crop than cotton.
- Cotton is used in approximately 50% of all textiles.
- Nonetheless, the majority of cotton farming practices are not long-term viable.
- It lessens the damage done to the environment by the textile industry by increasing the useful life of fibres already in use.
- When compared to utilising traditional cotton, producing clothing from recycled cotton could result in significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, chemicals used, water used, and energy used.
- Healthy, safe, and renewable, recycled cotton is typically purchased from businesses who employ a wide range of eco-friendly procedures.
- Because of its strong environmental performance and commitment to responsible resource management, recycled cotton is increasingly popular among brands.
- The environmental effect of fashion is greatly influenced by the processes involved in obtaining and processing raw materials and producing textiles.
- Sustainable fabrics, such as recycled cotton, can lessen the environmental toll of the clothing industry.
- The Fraunhofer IAP research team simplifies the process of recovering cotton clothes.
- The group's efforts are in service of Renewcell (sometimes spelt re:newcell), a Swedish sustainable apparel manufacturer that practises circular fashion.
- Circulose is a novel, patented material manufactured from cellulosic textile waste, and the firm behind it is called Renewcell.
- Through this novel procedure, cotton textiles can be recycled into viscose filaments for use in the production of new textiles.
- It has the potential to reduce the textile industry's negative impact on the environment.
- Jeans, shirts, t-shirts, skirts, sweaters, and other clothes can be recycled into viscose with this method.
- There is no problem with scaling up production with this.
- For the first time, scientists have been able to turn cellulose from recycled cotton into viscose fibre, a regenerated cellulosic fibre comparable to lyocell, acetate, and modal.
- This semi-synthetic cotton waste fibre could help the fashion industry become more inclusive, regenerative, and circular.
- To create new fibres, a viscous solution is dissolved into a spinning solution.
- The end product is a yarn spun entirely from cellulosic fibres that performs as well as, if not better than, other yarns spun from conventional fibres.
- Using closed-loop technologies that recover and reuse nearly all water and chemicals used in production, it is possible to produce in an environmentally beneficial manner.
- It's not just one or the other kind of cotton; it's both.
- To get the best potential outcomes from recycling, more effort must be made in research, development, and innovation, and in the cultivation of cotton in a way that is ethical, responsible, and beneficial to workers and the environment.
- Both options are valuable additions to the fashion industry's quest to become more environmentally and socially responsible.