[ECO]Recycling Polycotton Textiles May Finally Be Possible

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Scientists have developed an efficient method for recycling polycotton textiles by separating cotton and polyester fibers.

Most of the clothes we wear today are made from fabric blends, with cotton polyester being the most common. This mix is cheap, comfortable, and widely used in fast fashion. However, there’s a major problem: blended fabrics are extremely difficult to recycle. As a result, more than 99% of the 113 million tons of textiles produced globally each year end up in landfills or are burned.

Researchers at the

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may have found a solution. They have developed a process that fully separates cotton from polyester in blended fabrics, making it possible to recycle both materials. This breakthrough could help the fashion industry transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon future.

Recycling polycotton textiles is not as simple as recycling plastic or paper. Cotton and polyester fibers are tightly woven together, making separation difficult. Because of this, most polycotton waste is either discarded or downcycled into low-value products like carpet padding or furniture stuffing.

Previous recycling methods have focused on breaking down cotton fibers using acids at high temperatures or through multiple steps with different acid concentrations. While effective, these methods are complex and expensive, limiting their large-scale use.

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is one of the biggest contributors to environmental pollution. The fashion industry produces around 10% of global carbon emissions and consumes vast amounts of water and energy. When textiles end up in landfills, they take years to decompose, releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Burning textile waste also contributes to air pollution and carbon emissions, worsening climate change.

The difficulty of recycling polycotton textiles means that millions of tons of fabric are wasted every year. Developing a viable recycling process could significantly reduce waste and decrease the environmental footprint of the fashion industry. It could also help conserve raw materials like cotton, which requires large amounts of water and pesticides to grow.

The Dutch research team aimed to develop a more straightforward method that works at room temperature. They adapted a technique developed by Avantium, a renewable chemistry company, which was originally designed to break down plant matter into its basic components.

Their approach involves soaking polycotton fabric in a highly concentrated 43% hydrochloric acid solution. The process lasts between one and four days while the solution is continuously stirred. This breaks the cotton fibers down into glucose, a simple sugar that can be used to produce renewable plastics.

At the end of the process, the polyester fibers remain intact. The team then applies an advanced chemical recycling technique to break polyester into its molecular building blocks. These can be used to create new polyester, forming a closed-loop recycling system.

Unlike existing methods that require high temperatures and multiple steps, this process is simpler and more energy-efficient. Traditional recycling techniques often degrade the quality of polyester, making it less valuable for reuse. In contrast, this method preserves polyester fibers in their original state, making them suitable for high-quality recycled textiles.

Another advantage is that it produces glucose, which can be used to create renewable materials. Other methods typically destroy the cotton component, making it unusable. By recycling polycotton textiles in this way, both materials can be repurposed without generating additional waste.

According to the researchers, this new method could pave the way for large-scale recycling of blended textiles. It also offers a new source of non-food glucose, which is important for industries that use renewable materials.

If this recycling polycotton textiles process becomes widely available, it could change how clothing is produced and disposed of. Brands may be able to create new clothes from entirely recycled materials instead of relying on virgin resources. This could reduce waste, lower the environmental impact of fashion, and make sustainable clothing more affordable for consumers.

While the technology is still in its early stages, recycling polycotton textiles represents a major step toward solving one of fashion’s biggest sustainability challenges. If successful, this process could lead to more recycling plants, better waste management, and a shift toward a circular economy in the fashion industry.

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