Methods for Natural and Synthetic Polymers Recovery from Textile Waste

Abstract

Trends in the textile industry show a continuous increase in the production and sale of textile materials, which in turn generates a huge amount of discarded clothing every year. This has a negative impact on the environment, on one side, by consuming resources—some of them non-renewables (to produce synthetic polymers)—and on the other side, by polluting the environment through the emission of GHGs (greenhouse gases), the generation of microplastics, and the release of toxic chemicals in the environment (dyes, chemical reagents, etc.). When natural polymers (e.g., cellulose, protein fibers) are used for the manufacturing of clothes, the negative impact is transferred to soil pollution (e.g., by using pesticides, fertilizers). In addition, for the manufacture of clothes from natural fibers, large amounts of water are consumed for irrigation. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), the consumption of clothing is expected to increase by 63%, from 62 million tonnes in 2019 to 102 million tonnes in 2030. The current article aims to review the latest technologies that are suitable for better disposal of large quantities of textile waste.

Boosting Degradation of Biodegradable Polymers

“…Besides this group, natural polymers such as starch and cellulose are also highly biodegradable since microbial population has adapted to use these natural polymers as food sources. [21] Aside from the main limiting condition for a polymer to biodegrade attributing to the chemical and physical structure, the surrounding environment plays a significant role. It is also important to clarify that even if a polymer as a virgin resin is considered biodegradable, after processing and due to the incorporation of certain additives and/or physicochemical processes or chemical modifications, the inherent condition of biodegradability can be altered [24] ; therefore, a post-consumer product disposed of at the composting facility may not meet the requirements for biodegradability.…”

“…Besides this group, natural polymers such as starch and cellulose are also highly biodegradable since microbial population has adapted to use these natural polymers as food sources. [ 21 ]…”

Theory of planned behavior in consumer behavior research: A systematic literature review

“…Clothing/apparel. The clothing industry is a significant resource depleter and natural environment polluter that exerts its negative impact through a variety of actions, such as microfiber (Li et al, 2023) and textile waste pollution, release of toxic chemicals (Stefan et al, 2022), freshwater depletion (Virgens et al, 2022), and pollution (Bhatia, 2017). It has been estimated that 8%-10% of global carbon dioxide emissions are generated by apparel and footwear industries (Leal Filho et al, 2022).…”

Recent Developments in the Design and Fabrication of Electrochemical Biosensors Using Functional Materials and Molecules

“…On the other hand, industrialization and population growth necessitate the production of various products in large quantities, from toilet paper to textiles, agricultural commodities to aerospace products, and potable water to rocket fuel, which involves numerous chemicals and liberates various waste products into the environment and water bodies. These waste products not only affect the environment but also causes various health hazards to all living beings [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Hence, these chemicals and other waste products need to be treated and eliminated or converted to other non-hazardous products; in order to achieve this, they need to be identified and quantified [ 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”