Abstract
An increased amount of textile waste will be available in the future, and its utilization requires attention from various perspectives. The re-utilization of textile waste in a second material cycle is an option for dealing with a global problem that puts stress on the urban environment. In this study, almost 30 kg of clothing were recycled as a raw material in the structure of a composite, whose structural properties were analyzed. The studied materials were made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), anhydride modified polyethylene, lubricant, and either polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or rayon fibers from recycled clothes. The recycled clothes were identified by a near-infrared (NIR) analyzer, followed by treatment of size reduction and materials compounding by agglomeration and compression molding technologies. The material properties were characterized by thickness swelling, water absorption, impact, and tensile testing. The recycled clothes fibers, acting as a filler component in the structure of the composite, could maintain the properties of the material at the same level as the reference material. PET fibers being used as a component resulted in a significant improvement in impact strength. The study showed that recycled clothes can be re-utilized as a substitute for raw materials, and can be part of a solution for future challenges involving textile waste, following the principles of the circular economy. Textile recycling create opportunities to improve the quality of urban life.
Highlights
Worldwide material consumption has increased over the last few decades, creating income and jobs in many countries and urban cities [1,2]
The aim of this study is to investigate the structural properties of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and rayon textile fibers in the structure of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites
Global trends indicate that the textile waste amount will increase in the future, and post-treatment must be considered as a part of sustainable development
Summary
Worldwide material consumption has increased over the last few decades, creating income and jobs in many countries and urban cities [1,2]. The latest available statistics showed that the annual increase in the municipal waste (MSW) amount is about 3% in Finland [3]. One example of municipal produced waste object is textiles, whose share in MSW grew to 5.8%. In Finland in 2016 [4] This value is consistent with global statistics: for instance, in the USA, textiles’ share of total MSW generation was reported to be at the same level in 2018 [5]. The presented values indicate that textile amounts are high globally, and the effect of textile waste will be especially significant in the future because clothing production increased by 100% between 2000 and 2014 [6]. The amount of textile waste materials available for reuse will increase in Europe in the future due to, inter alia, policy control.
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