Natural Polymers
Origin of Materials
- Conventionally sourced cellulose from forest industry
- Circular and sustainable solutions include:
- Use of agricultural side streams
- Example: straw as a cellulose feedstock
Synthetic Polymers
Origin of Raw Materials
- Conventionally obtained from petrochemical industry
- Circular solutions may include:
- Pyrolysis products
- Gasification products
- Use as polymerisation feedstocks
- Open-loop recycling approaches
Fibre Manufacturing
Main Methods
- Melt-spinning for thermoplastic polymers:
- PES
- PA
- PP
- PE
- Dry-spinning using evaporating solvents:
- PAN
- EL
- Wet-spinning and dry-jet wet-spinning for polymers regenerated in spinning baths:
- MMF
- PAN
Secondary Raw Materials Used
- r-PET from PET bottles
- Production waste from textile production of synthetic materials in melt-spinning
- Dissolved cotton and other cellulose sources
Waste Produced
- Solid waste such as:
- Non-uniform filaments
- Filament breakage waste
- Spinneret-clogged waste
- Degraded polymer waste
- Filter pack waste
Waste Prevention Measures
- Suitable material selection
- Elimination of hazardous additives
- Use of compatible polymers
- Process optimisation
- Improved quenching uniformity
- Improved real-time monitoring activities
Natural Fibres
Origin of Materials
- Cultivation of plant fibres
- Animal production:
- Wool
- Other hairs
- Sustainable options include:
- Organic production methods
- Other certified production methods
- Ethical treatment of animals
Yarn Spinning
Main Methods
- Blending of fibres and making pre-yarn
- Ring spinning (typically finer yarns)
- OE spinning (more feasible for mechanically recycled yarn)
- Air-jet spinning (for pilling resistance)
- Friction spinning (DREF 2000) for coarser / bulky yarns
Secondary Raw Materials Used
- Post-industrial waste from spinning, weaving and knitting
- Thermo-mechanically and chemically recycled materials
- Fibre mechanically recycled materials typically blended with virgin and/or recycled fibres to restore fibre quality
Waste Produced
- Waste in each yarn-spinning stage
- Comber noil
- Broken yarns
- Fly fibres
Waste Prevention Measures
- Return the longest fibre fractions to processing of lower-quality yarns and/or nonwoven applications
Fabric Production
Main Methods
- Knitting
- Weaving
- Dyeing and finishing
Secondary Raw Materials Used
- Yarns containing recycled fibres
Waste Produced
- Yarn waste
- Waste in fabric formation (selvedges and trimmings)
- Low-grade fabrics
- Waste from coloration and finishing:
- Wastewater
- Chemical sludge
- Rejected textiles due to colour or appearance mismatch
Waste Prevention Measures
- Process control and optimisation
- Recycling of post-industrial waste
Non-Woven Production
Main Methods
- Web formation via:
- Dry methods
- Wet methods
- Direct methods
- Bonding via:
- Mechanical methods
- Chemical methods
- Thermal methods
- Finishing
Secondary Raw Materials
- Mechanically recycled fibres from fibre recycling
- Mechanically recycled fibres for carding and air-laying materials
- Chemically and thermo-mechanically recycled fibres for wet and dry laying
- Recycled polymers for direct laying
Waste Produced
- Fibre waste
- Filament waste
- Polymer and resin waste
- Off-spec fabrics and products
- Edge trim and slitting waste
- Start-up and shutdown waste
- Process residues:
- Dust
- Fines
- Microfibres
- Chemical and additive waste
- Wastewater and effluent
Waste Prevention Measures
- Raw material and input optimisation
- Process optimisation and yield improvement
- Lean manufacturing practices
- Internal reuse and closed-loop production
Technical Textile Products
Production Methods
- Wide range of production methods
- Some similar to textile production methods
- Others highly specialised
Secondary Raw Materials
- Recycled fibres
- Recycled fabrics and nonwovens
- Recycled resins
Waste Produced
- Similar waste streams to nonwoven production
- Composite and multilayer scrap
- Coated and laminated material waste
Waste Prevention Measures
- Similar measures to those used in nonwoven production
- Greater focus on product design due to complexity of technical textile products
Textile Production
Main Process Steps
- Design & pattern making
- Cutting
- Assembly
Secondary Raw Materials Used
- Yarns and fabrics containing recycled fibres
- Other secondary and reusable materials
- Remanufacturing from textile products
Waste Produced
- Cutting scraps
- Selvedge waste
- End bits or lay-end waste
- Pattern mismatch (e.g. printing or striped line mismatching)
- Sewing thread trimming waste
- Bobbin leftovers / broken threads
- Lint / fibre loss during the washing process
- Rejected garments (not considered waste in all cases)
Waste Prevention Measures
- Design and optimise cutting patterns to prevent cutting waste
- Seamless clothing concepts