A new paper explores the environmental challenges posed to textile manufacturing by growing global demand and recommends the use of agricultural residues and recycled materials for sustainable production. Led by Ryen Frazier, the paper identifies suitable residues in North America and highlights the need to adapt processing technologies for these alternative fibers.
In 50 years we may be wearing clothes made from agricultural, paper and textile waste.
The world's population has exceeded 8 billion, and the demand for textiles has also increased. Synthetic fibers such as polyester are fast and cheap to produce, but their impact on the environment is increasingly a concern. Although cotton is natural and biodegradable, it requires large amounts of land and water, further increasing the environmental burden.
Land in the future will be important for the cultivation and development of food crops to provide food and shelter for the growing population, while growing more non-food crops such as cotton will take up less and less of the available land.
The textile industry is under tremendous pressure to produce more and more textile fibers without placing any additional burden on the environment. Fiber recycling plays an important role and can be part of the solution, but this area is still emerging and requires more infrastructure, support from brands and a high level of organization and collaboration.
Therefore, the authors recommend the use of waste materials such as agricultural residues, recycled paper and cardboard, and old cotton textile waste as raw materials for recycled textile manufacturing. To date, no study has so comprehensively assessed the potential of these waste materials for textile applications.
"This article focuses on the potential of agricultural residues because of the well-documented volume of these waste sources to address the fiber shortage in the United States," explains Ryen Frazier, a doctoral student who led the research on this topic. "Ryen's work is part of a larger research consortium called SAFI (Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative), which is led by her research mentor at North Carolina State University. SAFI is a global sustainable fiber development initiative focused on the research, development and utilization of alternative fibers to create a variety of sustainable products. While raw materials will differ in their chemical and physical properties, if we understand these differences, we can use these differences to adjust the properties of the final textile fiber or favor one feedstock over another."
The authors concluded that soy, wheat, rice, sorghum, and sugarcane residues are widely available in North America and are the most suitable feedstocks for textile conversion. Recycled materials are also a good raw material choice for textiles. However, it is important to emphasize that traditional pulping and conversion processes may not be suitable for these alternative fibers without modifications or adjustments. This work identifies emerging technology options that may be more suitable for these alternative feedstock sources.
Compiled source: ScitechDaily