Introduction
Textile wastes make up a significant portion of recycled materials today due to the growth of fashion and the
diversity of clothing, and by recycling and collecting them correctly, they can contribute significantly to cost
savings and environmental health.
Urban dry waste and production-related waste are both considered textile
waste. A documented plan, program, and industrial facility to collect and recycle these wastes have not yet been
established due to the sizeable amount of textiles that are currently discarded into the environment. While
the process of recycling fiber is significant for the environment and lowers contamination. However, the waste
fiber recycling units› ability to repurpose the recovered fibers across a wide range of industries results in the
production of high-value raw materials and new employment opportunities.
The significance and necessity of recycling textile waste, the different types of recycling techniques used in the
textile industry, and the uses of recycled fibers in various industries have all been expressed in this research,
which was conducted in an applied and documented manner. The findings demonstrated that recycling textile
waste not only protects the urban environment, reduces waste, and decreases the space needed for waste
accumulation but also reduces the consumption of non-renewable resources like oil and petrochemicals, creates
more jobs, and lessens the requirement for polyester fiber imports.
Keywords: Textile recycling; Urban environment; Polyester, Environmental engineering
- 1. Introduction
The most significant causes of increased urban, industrial, and agricultural waste in human societies include
rapid population growth, industrial development, and consumerism. In recent years, the unreasonable disposal
of industrial waste has created numerous hazards in human communities. Many crises in human societies have
recently been brought on by improper management of industrial wastes (2013, Moqtadar Kargarhan, Javad; Mir
Dawood Bani Fatemeh and Mir Abdul Ali Ghaibi).
Currently, one of the most serious issues and problems in all cities worldwide is the problem of urban solid
waste. Up until a few years ago, waste was defined as any useless material and was discarded instead. However,
as time went on and progress was made, it became obvious that they could be employed and had returned to
the industry cycle. Economic advantages will accrue if recycling is conducted scientifically.
The issue of collecting,
recycling, and reusing waste materials in the manufacturing cycle has taken on new significance because of the
rapid growth of the population and growing concern about environmental protection. Waste and effluent have
emerged as significant contributors to environmental contamination, and numerous initiatives are currently
being made in every country to address this issue (Hatami Zenozi, Leila, 2021).
Because of the depletion of energy reserves such as oil, gas, and coal, as well as the scarcity of these resources,
humanity is searching for ways to effectively use non-renewable resources while also preserving the environment,
which is one of today›s most pressing concerns.
Recycling waste is one of these solutions because it uses less
energy and lowers the cost of manufactured commodities. Throwing away, burying, and burning are the most
standard techniques for disposing of textile waste and used textiles. These wastes can actually serve as sources
of energy and materials and, with the right management, can be incorporated back into the production process.
There are three waste management approaches available today, including waste reduction, reuse, and recycling
(Salehi et al., 2017).
Additionally, considering the environment and resource use has emerged as significant obstacle to the
resumption of human life. In the field of textiles, recyclable materials, durable materials, and the application
of production techniques that adhere to environmental standards have been recommended as alternatives
to traditional manufacturing techniques (2019 Khashai, Rizvan).
The textile industry is the world›s second
most contaminating industry. Textile has a typical lifespan of three years. As a result, textiles generate a lot
of waste. Textile waste occupies 5% of the world›s landfills. It is impossible to avoid creating waste when
manufacturing or consuming textiles. As a result, a thorough analysis of how consumers purchase and a product life cycle is required. Considering the dimensions of a product
and its compatibility with nature can significantly decrease the
amount of textile waste placed in landfills and burned. Spinning,dying, supplementary processes, sewing clothes, and even the consumption of textiles all result in waste at some point in the textile production process.
This investigation aims to evaluate and compare the existing
approaches to recycling textile waste and the measures
implemented in our nation, as well as to ascertain the uses and applications for the materials acquired from recycling textile waste and its strategic plan for protecting the urban environment.
2. Research background
In 2019, Pasandideh Tashri et al. looked into producer
responsibility and waste management practices in Iran. The
findings of this study demonstrate that Iranian commodities
producers and consumable goods accept their legal and economic
responsibility and act in a manner that lessens the negative
effects of products and wastes resulting from the consumption
of materials and goods in the environment by learning from
the successful experiences of other nations and applying the
requirements of EPR when designing products to minimize
environmental consequences during their lifetime
The life cycle of textile products made in Turkey was examined in 2015 by G. Baydar et al. The study›s findings revealed that a multi-directional approach to interventions at various stages of a products life cycle results in an overall improvement in productsustainability.
Leila Hatami Zenozi researched waste management strategies and appropriate approaches for the recovery cycle and environmental protection in 2022. The study›s findings indicate that conducting recycling operations in a scientific manner will lead to financial advantages.
In order to direct textile waste management strategies toward more environmentally friendly options, Bahare Zamani et al. at
Yale University conducted an investigation into the potential
environmental advantages of various textile recycling techniques in 2014. According to the findings of this study, burning possesses the maximum potential for global warming and initial energy consumption. By saving 8 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2-eq) and 164 gigajoules of initial energy per ton of textile waste, the recycling process outperformed all other systems under study.
Used clothing recycling, recovery, and reuse options were
examined by Morley et al. in 2006. They discovered that reusing clothing outperforms recycling or disposal in terms of CO2 emissions from waste management options. According to this study, the maximum advantage of reuse for a sample of cotton and polyester clothing is 33 kg CO2-eq/kg as opposed to a maximum of approximately 8 kg CO2-eq/kg of fiber recycling.
A porous nanocomposite composed of recycled polyester fibers and based on natural polymer was the subject of an investigation by Fatemeh Tahanian Fini et al. in 2022. Natural polymers of chitosan as a binding agent and glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent are used to form a network of absorbents in this study. Infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen absorption, and desorption were employed to characterize the adsorbents, and the impact of various factors on the absorption capacity was examined in this study. To evaluate the effectiveness and performance of adsorbents, well oil was used as an adsorbed oily substance.
According to the findings, the prepared materials can be
employed as effective absorbents to remove oil leakages
from the water environment.
The significance of recycling polyester waste for the
creation of fibers utilized in the textile industry was the
subject of Ms. Rezvan Khashai›s investigation in 2020.
According to the findings of this study, the textile industry
now relies on imports for more than half of its polyester
requirements. As a result, recycling waste like polyester,
which has a substantial consumption and role in our lives,
will be essential and beneficial given the significance of
sustainable development in today›s society and the global
market competition. Encouragement and persuasion of
individuals and authorities to separate solid waste from the
source to make recycling easier is a very beneficial resource
in terms of providing raw materials for different industries
in the nation, including the significant textile industry and
the manufacturing of fibers and textiles, saving expenses on
imported materials. This will be extremely beneficial to the
country›s business.
In order to increase the resistance behavior of clay soils
along line 2 of the Mashhad urban train, Majid Vahdatipour
et al. evaluated the impact of adding recycled polyester
fibers as an environmental solution in 2016. The impact
of polyester fibers on the resistance behavior of clay soils
is investigated in this experimental study. The findings of
the tests demonstrated that the addition of these fibers
decreased the soil›s specific dry weight and enhanced its
optimal moisture by up to 1.56 times that of the natural soil.
Additionally, the compressive strength and shear strength
have been elevated up to 1.76 and 1.80 times, respectively.
The bond and friction between soil particles and fibers are
caused by the rough surface of fibers. The friction and sliding
resistance of the fibers increase with the roughness of the
fibers› surface.
The characteristics of asphalt pavements reinforced with
recycled polyester fibers were studied in 2008 by Ebrahim
Mirzaei et al. They claimed that one well-known way to
increase the mechanical characteristics and durability of
asphalt pavements is by adding fiber additives to the asphalt
concrete mixture. The goal of this study is to look into how
using recycled polyester fibers affects the characteristics of
asphalt concrete mixtures.
The goal of this study is to look into how
using recycled polyester fibers affects the characteristics of
asphalt concrete mixtures. Three different percentages of
recycled polyester fibers and a type of pure bitumen 70/60
were employed in this study, along with a type of stone
material with continuous granulation. Experimental research
using tensile, indirect, and softening point tests, in addition
to Marshall mixture design and degree of penetration tests,
revealed that the fibers increase the mixture›s durability
and rheological properties, and their stiffening properties
vary with fiber content (%). In addition, when compared to samples without fibers, the addition of fibers partially
decreases the Marshall endurance and partially enhances
the optimal bitumen percentage and the unoccupied spaces
percentage in asphalt.
- 3. Research method
The present investigation is a combination of documentary
and applied research, with materials gathered through
library research. The goal of this study is to examine the
value and necessity of recycling industrial waste, with a
particular emphasis on waste generated by the activity of
the textile industries. It is anticipated that this investigation
will serve as an origin of inspiration for professors, students,
environmental activists, etc., to develop new suggestions in
the fields of textile recycling and environmental protection.
- 4. Textile waste recycling
Recycling textile waste is crucial from an economic and
environmental advantages standpoint. This eliminates
many of the polluting and energy-intensive processes used
to manufacture textiles from raw materials. Recycling
reduces the amount of landfill space required. Furthermore,
synthetic fibers do not break down, which exacerbates
the problem of textiles in landfills. In general, recycling is
classified into two types:
4-1: 1.4. Physical recycling
Physical recycling involves the transformation of production
waste and post-consumption products into new products
through the use of improvement processes or the processing
of composite plastics waste. Physical recycling is more
popular and accepted than chemical recycling due to its
simplicity, low cost, and eco-friendly nature
4-2: 2.4. Chemical recycling
Polymers with a high molecular weight are converted
into polymers with a low molecular weight through
chemical recycling. It is possible to create other polymers
and reactions using the obtained materials. Numerous
economic, environmental, and social problems may be
solved by recycling textile waste.
Although there is a history of textile recycling, in recent
years, the issue has received more attention as a result of
the development of fashion culture and the Western world,
which have enhanced textile consumption and associated
waste production. When a component can be recycled back
into its original product, the cost and environmental impact
are minimized. This is known as closed-loop recycling
- 5. Types of recycling technologies
5-1: 1.5. Heat recovery technology: Thermal recovery
corresponds to the recovery of thermal or electrical energy
generated by the combustion of fiber waste.
5-2: 2.5. Material recycling technology:Material recycling
recovers polymers via fibers, and the suggestion of
transforming polyethylene terephenate (PET) into fibers
is currently utilized for the most cost-effective and widely
applicable purposes.
5-3: 3.5. Chemical recycling technology: Chemical recycling recovers monomers from discarded fibers by degrading polymers. Recovered monomers can be
used to eliminate impurities. As a result, their quality
will be identical to that of the primary monomers.
- 6. Conclusion
Recovering textiles and clothing for recycling has
economic and environmental advantages. Recycling
precludes the dissemination of pollution and energy
intensive textile production processes involving new
materials. By using less energy during the recycling
process compared to the production and extraction
of raw materials, the recycling process reduces the
amount of space needed for landfills, conserves and
decreases resource consumption, and produces less
contamination (Jeyaraman Anandha, Kumar; 2020).
Production-related and dry urban wastes both fall
under the category of textile waste. Because of the
substantial amount of textiles presently discarded
into the environment, there is neither a documented
plan nor a dedicated industrial unit to collect and
recycle these textiles. When it comes to protecting
the environment and lowering contamination, the
process of recycling fiber is also crucial. On the other
side, the numerous applications of recovered fibers
in a variety of industries and waste fiber recycling
units result in the generation of raw materials with
greater added value and job creation.
One area where Iran excels and has a high capacity is
the waste recycling sector, which has the potential to
partially offset the country›s current unemployment
rate (Zarghi and Rahmanizadeh, 2018).
Several achievements were reported by investing
in the country›s polyester industry and supporting
this strategic and job-creating indigenous industry,
including meeting domestic requirements and
decreasing or eliminating imports, completing the
textile production chain, completing the oil and gas
resources-based added value chain, and utilizing
the country›s competitive benefits (Khashai, Rizvan,
2019).
A significant portion of the waste generated
during the textile manufacturing process can
be recycled. The mechanical characteristics and
durability of asphalt pavements can be improved by
incorporating these recycled fibers into the asphalt
concrete mix, which is a well-known technique
(Ebrahim Mirzaei et al., 2008).
Clays strength is also increased by adding recycled
polyester fibers (Majid Vahdatipour et al. 2015).
The development of an oil-absorbing porous
nanocomposite can use these recycled fibers. To
remove oil pollution from the environment brought
on by leakages and accidents on the road, etc.,
adsorbents are employed in the study conducted by
Fatemeh Tahanian Fini et al., 2021.
