INDEX. Introduction 3. Chapter 1 Textile Recycling. Chapter 2 Cotton Recycling. Chapter 3- Recycling Ideas For Cloths

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2 INDEX Introduction 3 Chapter 1 Textile Recycling Chapter 2 Cotton Recycling Chapter 3- Recycling Ideas For Cloths

3 Introduction Textile recycling is the method of reusing or reprocessing used clothing, fibrous material and clothing scraps from the manufacturing process. Textiles in municipal solid waste are found mainly in discarded clothing, although other sources include furniture, carpets, tires, footwear, and nondurable goods such as sheets and towels. It s very important to use our resources wisely so we will discuss the Textile recycling industry in this book and we will provide you with some ideas about them 3

4 Chapter 1 Textile Recycling What Is Textile Recycling? Textile recycling is the process by which old clothing and other textiles are recovered for reuse or material recovery. It is the basis for the textile recycling industry. In the United States, this group is represented by SMART, the Association of Wiping Materials, Used Clothing and Fiber Industries. The necessary steps in the textile recycling process involve the donation, collection, sorting and processing of textiles, and then subsequent transportation to end users of used garments, rags or other recovered materials. The basis for the growing textile recycling industry is, of course, the textile industry itself. The textile industry has evolved into a $1 trillion industry globally, comprising clothing, as well as furniture and mattress material, linens, draperies, cleaning materials, leisure equipment and many other items. 4 The Urgency to Recycle Textiles The importance of recycling textiles is increasingly being recognized. Over 80 billion garments are produced annually, worldwide. In 2010, about 5% of the U.S. municipal waste stream was textile scrap, totaling 13.1 million tons. The recovery rate for textiles is still only 15%. As such, textile recycling is a significant challenge to be addressed as we strive to move closer to a zero landfill society. Once in landfills, natural fibers can take hundreds of years to decompose. They may release methane and CO2 gas into the atmosphere. Additionally, synthetic textiles are designed not to decompose. In the landfill, they may release toxic substances into groundwater and surrounding soil. Textile recycling offers the following environmental benefits: Decreases landfill space requirements, bearing in mind that synthetic fiber products do not decompose and that natural fibers may release greenhouse gasses Avoided use of virgin fibers Reduced consumption of energy and water Pollution avoidance Lessened demand for dyes. Sources of Textiles for Recycling Textiles for recycling are generated from two primary sources. These sources include: 1. Post-consumer, including garments, vehicle upholstery, household items and others. 2. Pre-consumer, including scrap created as a by-product from yarn and fabric manufacture, as well as the post-industrial scrap textiles from other industries.

5 The donation of old garments is supported by non-profit as well as many corporate programs, including those of Nike and Patagonia. Wearable and Reused Textiles According to a U.K. industry source, about 50% of collected textiles are reused, and about 50% are recycled. About 61 percent of recovered wearable clothes are exported to other countries. In some African countries, as many as 80% of people wear used clothing. The issue of sending used clothing to Africa has generated some degree of controversy as to the benefits of such initiatives, where it can have an adverse impact on local textile industries, native dress, and local waste generation. In Canada, an estimated 10% of charitable contributions are sold by thrift stores, with another 90% of donated fabrics going to textile recyclers. Approximately 35% of donated clothing is made into industrial rags. The Recycling Process For textiles to be recycled, there are fundamental differences between natural and synthetic fibers. For natural textiles: The incoming unwearable material is sorted by type of material and color. Color sorting results in fabric that does not need to be re-dyed. The color sorting means no re-dying is required, saving energy and avoiding pollutants. Textiles are then pulled into fibers or shredded, sometimes introducing other fibers into the yarn. Materials are shredded or pulled into fibers. Depending on the end use of the yarn, other fibers may be incorporated. The yarn is then cleaned and mixed through a carding process Then the yarn is re-spun and ready for subsequent use in weaving or knitting. Some fibers are not spun into yards, however. Some are compressed for textile filling such as in mattresses. 5 In the case of polyester-based textiles, garments are shredded and then granulated, and processed into polyester chips. These are subsequently melted and used to create new fibers for use in new polyester fabrics. As society becomes more familiar with the hazards associated with sending old textiles to the landfill, and the demand and the supply of recycled textiles continue to develop, it can be anticipated that the textile recycling industry will continue to grow. At the same time, watch for trend such as slow fashion to draw continued attention to the interplay of clothing and sustainability.

6 Chapter 2 Cotton Recycling Cotton recycling prevents unneeded wastage and can be a more sustainable alternative to disposal. Recycled cotton may come from older, previously used garments or by textile leftovers which are then spun into new yarns and fabrics. There are some notable limitations of recycled cotton, including separation of materials that are cotton/polyester mix. There may also be limits to durability in using recycled cotton. 6 Process Cotton can be recycled from pre-consumer (post-industrial) and post-consumer cotton waste. Pre-consumer waste comes from any excess material produced during the production of yarn, fabrics and textile products, e.g. selvage from weaving and fabric from factory cutting rooms. Post-consumer waste comes from discarded textile products, e.g. used apparel and home textiles. During the recycling process, the cotton waste is first sorted by type and color and then processed through stripping machines that first breaks the yarns and fabric into smaller pieces before pulling them apart into fiber. The mix is carded several times in order to clean and mix the fibers before they are spun into new yarns. The resulting staple fiber is of shorter length compared to the original fiber length, meaning it is more difficult to spin. Recycled cotton is therefore often blended with virgin cotton fibers to improve yarn strengths. Commonly, not more than 30% recycled cotton content is used in the finished yarn or fabric. Because waste cotton is often already dyed, re-dyeing may not be necessary. Cotton is an extremely resource-intense crop in terms of water, pesticides and insecticides.this means that using recycled cotton can lead to significant savings of natural resources and reduce pollution from agriculture. Recycling one tonne of cotton can save 765 cubic metres (202,000 US gal) of water. Uses Recycled cotton is often combined with recycled plastic bottles to make clothing and textiles, creating very sustainable, earth-conscious products. Recycled cotton can also be used in industrial settings as polishing and wiper cloths and can even be made into new, high-quality paper. When reduced to its fibrous state, cotton can be used for applications like seat stuffing or home and automotive insulation. It is also sold as recycled cotton yarn for consumers to create their own items. Additionally, cotton waste can be made into a stronger, more durable paper than traditional wood-pulp based paper, which may contain high concentration of acids. Cotton paper is often used for important documents and also for bank notes since it does not wear off as easily. Cotton waste can also be used to grow mushrooms (particularly the indoor cultivation of Volvariella volvacea otherwise known as Straw Mushrooms). Even though recycling cotton cuts down on the harsh process of creating brand new cotton products, it is a natural fiber and is biodegradable, so any cotton fibers that cannot be recycled or used further can be composted and will not take up space in landfills

7 Chapter 3- Recycling Ideas For Cloths Old clothing often just sits in your dresser drawers or in your closet, taking up the space you could be using for clothing you actually wear. You might think of tossing it out or giving it away, but how often do you really have the motivation? Bagging up clothes isn t a particularly fun activity, after all. But making crafts is, and there are plenty of crafts you can create from old clothing. You can dress up your old clothes with cool alterations, create accessories, quilts, artwork, or transform one piece of clothing into another. There are plenty of mind-blowing ways to repurpose old clothing. Read on for ideas. 7 T-Shirt Produce Bag Use old t-shirts to create colorful and eye-catching produce bags. T-shirt Cutting and Weaving Do some cutting and weaving to turn a boring t-shirt into a fashionable top.

8 Clothes into Hair Posies Use the fabric from old clothing to make cute flower accents for your hair. 8 Jean Quilt Use old jeans and flannel to make an awesome quilt. Old T-shirt Scarf Use interesting t-shirts to create an eye-catching scarf

9 Baby Clothes Creatures Use old baby clothes to make adorable stuffies. T-shirt Quilt Have a lot of old T-shirts you don t know what to do with? Make them into a quilt! 9 DIY Draft Stopper Use parts of old jeans to stop those under-the-door drafts Cardigan from a Sweater Or make that old sweater into a cardigan!

10 T-shirt Scarf Make fashionable scarfs out of t-shirts! 10 Repurposed T-shirt If you don t like the rope look to your scarves, try this t-shirt scarf alternative. Pillowcase Romper A toddler s romper can be made from an old pillowcase. Baby Sleeping Bag from Pillowcase An infant sleeping bag can also be created from a pillowcase

11 Hot/Cold Bags Use the fabric from your old clothing to create hot/cold bags. T-shirt to Artwork Create framed artwork from a old t-shirt 11 T-shirt Pillow Use old t-shirts to make a colorful pillow. Candy Wrapper Pouch Use old candy wrappers to make a cool zipper pouch!

12 Jean and Fabric Purse The top of an old pair of jeans plus some colorful fabric can create an awesome purse. 12 Plain Shirt to Ruffled Add some ruffles to a dull white shirt to brighten it up Nightgowns from Pillowcases Make toddler nightgowns out of pillowcases. Jazzed up Striped Shirt Put some pizzazz in an referee style shirt with a few alterations!

13 DIY Anthro Scarf Create a colorful scarf with an old T-shirt and some fabric markers. 13 Toddler Dress Have a child whose outgrown her onesie? Combine it was an old shirt to create an awesome new dress!