Textile Fiber Microscopy

7Recycled Fibers

7.1 Fiber Recycling

The clothing industry generates a great amount of waste, which is not consumer recyclable. Clothing in poor condition, such as a torn pair of polyester pants, cannot simply be thrown in a recycling bin along with other discarded goods such as plastics, cans, and paper. Because there is no way for consumers to recycle textiles, discarded clothing will most likely end up in a landfill.

Today, textile manufacturers are attempting to address the issue of recycling textiles, using terms such as recycled, repurposed, or reprocessed. There is a great interest in developing recycling methods for synthetic fibers (to reduce environmental impact) such as polyester and utilize it on a large scale. Currently, there are two basic types of polyester textile fibers, recycled polyester fiber and virgin polyester fiber that has not been recycled.

Virgin polyester fiber has a wide range of applications. The application of recycled polyester fiber, however, depends on the method of recycling used. The two dominant polyester recycling methods are chemical recycling and mechanical recycling. The end goal is to produce a quality of recycled polyester fiber equivalent to that of virgin polyester fiber, resulting in greater consumer satisfaction. However, the quality of recycled polyester fiber also depends on the recycling method: chemical and mechanical recycling methods.

7.2 Recycled Polyester via Chemical Recycling

The synthetic fiber most utilized by consumers is ...