than ever before. And the driver for this is primarily economic, rather than human need. Over the past decade, the term “circular economy” has entered the fashion industry lexicon, where materials are made to be reused and recycled by design.plastic recyclingThe use of recycled polyester and cotton by brands, such as H&M and Cotton On, are key aspects of these companies’ sustainability initiatives – but the source of these recycled fibres usually isn’t clothing.
Different fibres have different capacities for recycling. Natural fibres, such as wool or cotton, can be recycled mechanically. In this process, the fabric is shredded and re-spun into yarn, from which new fabric can be woven or knitted.However, the fibres become shorter through the shredding process, resulting in lower quality yarn and cloth. Recycled cotton is often mixed with virgin cotton to ensure a better quality of yarn.
This requires labour and can be expensive. It’s often easier to shred the garment and turn it into a low-quality product, such as shoddy which is used for insulation.Companies such as BlockTexx and Evrnu have developed processes to recycle fibres from blended fabrics, though such recycled fibres aren’t widely available yet.
Synthetic fibres, such as polyester and polyamide , can also be recycled mechanically and chemically. Chemical recycling through re-polymerisation is an attractive option, since the quality of the original fibre can be maintained. A new generation of synthetic fibres from renewable sources offers a path forward. For instance, the Kintra fibre is made from corn.