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Abstract
This report consists of technology review on textile recycling technologies and our visions for a model enabling sustainable textile cycles. This work was carried out as part of Value chains for sustainable production, use and cycles of textiles (Telavalue) project funded by Business Finland and project partners.
The technology review focus on the status and prospects of fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies complemented with shorter overview on the other recycling technologies aiming for example for non-textile applications and/or to raw material production for other industries. We explain fibre, polymer, and monomer level recycling methods, review scientific research and market examples. We made general level overview into environmental and economic issues related to textile recycling, and especially economics section is mostly based on Finnish case study. Furthermore, we made SWOT analyses and comparison of different recycling process categories, not individual processes.
In sustainable textile cycles model section, we discuss the trade-offs between different utilization routes and, thus, tried to illustrate how different process options 1) effect on quality and value, and 2) also increase resource use, costs, and cause environmental impacts. The main principle of sustainable textile circulation can be stated in way that discarded textiles should be utilized in highest value application its condition permits with least amount of processing; and more processing could be used when quality and/or value needs to be restored.
The technology review focus on the status and prospects of fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies complemented with shorter overview on the other recycling technologies aiming for example for non-textile applications and/or to raw material production for other industries. We explain fibre, polymer, and monomer level recycling methods, review scientific research and market examples. We made general level overview into environmental and economic issues related to textile recycling, and especially economics section is mostly based on Finnish case study. Furthermore, we made SWOT analyses and comparison of different recycling process categories, not individual processes.
In sustainable textile cycles model section, we discuss the trade-offs between different utilization routes and, thus, tried to illustrate how different process options 1) effect on quality and value, and 2) also increase resource use, costs, and cause environmental impacts. The main principle of sustainable textile circulation can be stated in way that discarded textiles should be utilized in highest value application its condition permits with least amount of processing; and more processing could be used when quality and/or value needs to be restored.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland |
| Number of pages | 62 |
| Publication status | Published - 13 Sept 2024 |
| MoE publication type | D4 Published development or research report or study |
Publication series
| Series | VTT Research Report |
|---|---|
| Volume | VTT-R-00941-22 |
Funding
Telavalue project, Business Finland 6478/31/2021
Keywords
- Circular economy
- textile recycling
- fibre mechanical recycling
- thermo- mechanical recycling
- chemical recycling
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Dive into the research topics of 'Technologies and Model for Sustainable Textile Recycling'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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Telavalue: Value chains for sustainable production, use and cycles of textiles
Heikkilä, P. (Manager), Kamppuri, T. (Participant), Saarimäki, E. (Participant), Tuovila, H. (Participant), Heikkilä, J. (Participant), Petänen, P. (Participant), Järvinen, S. (Participant), Mäkelä, S.-M. (Participant), Järnefelt, V. (Participant), Harlin, A. (Participant), Koivula, A. (Participant), Vehmas, K. (Participant), Torvinen, K. (Owner) & Määttänen, M. (Participant)
1/02/22 → 31/07/24
Project: Business Finland project