Sustainability in End of Life
By: Becky Janssen Sober and Jacob Dwinnell
Figure 1
The end-of-life phase of textiles should incorporate two key solutions that emphasize the role of the producer in fabric recycling, including fiber regeneration and extended producer responsibility (EPR)(Figure 1). EPR policies extend the responsibility of the producer beyond the production and consumption stage to the end-of-life disposal stage. Through mechanisms such as taxes, subsidies, product performance standards, and product take back programs, the responsibility of product disposal is shifted away from consumers and municipalities to producers by ensuring the producer is responsible for collecting and disposing of the products that they make. This solution creates a circular model between the user and the garment producer by increasing the amount of product that re-enters the cycle. To be successful, stakeholders at all stages of the value chain must be engaged with the process.
Additionally, fiber regeneration is the process of dissolving textiles in specific solvents and transforming them into polymer form, where they are then regenerated into a solid fiber via various spinning techniques. This solution creates a circular model between the user and the raw material producer. Products like cotton (cellulose) and hemp can be largely successful in both solutions, as they are easily
recycled through EPR policies as well as easily broken down through fiber regeneration due to
their minimal to no fibre blends. This has been seen at scale through companies such as Renewcell,
a Swedish textile plant that transforms thousands of tonnes of high cellulose textile waste into
biodegradable pulp that can be used for fiber regeneration, and has been integrated into brands like
Levis, Calvin Klein, and H&M. Mixed blend fibres however, which are largely dominant in the
textile industry today, require further processes applied than individual fibre blends. Here,
processes like ionic liquids can be applied to stimulate fiber separation.
As these have been a recent discovery through R&D processes, they have not been applied at scale yet and require further research and pilot projects to ensure they can be economically and geographically applied. Last, incorporating chemicals into fiber regeneration that are safe, specifically bluesign label certified, would ensure not only improved recycling habits, but also support the usage of safe chemicals
during the textile treatment process. Through incorporating EPR and fiber regeneration into the
textile lifecycle, as well as the addition of safe, bluesign certified chemicals, the end-of-life phase
of textiles can be greatly improved.
Additionally, fiber regeneration is the process of dissolving textiles in specific solvents and transforming them into polymer form, where they are then regenerated into a solid fiber via various spinning techniques. This solution creates a circular model between the user and the raw material producer. Products like cotton (cellulose) and hemp can be largely successful in both solutions, as they are easily
recycled through EPR policies as well as easily broken down through fiber regeneration due to
their minimal to no fibre blends. This has been seen at scale through companies such as Renewcell,
a Swedish textile plant that transforms thousands of tonnes of high cellulose textile waste into
biodegradable pulp that can be used for fiber regeneration, and has been integrated into brands like
Levis, Calvin Klein, and H&M. Mixed blend fibres however, which are largely dominant in the
textile industry today, require further processes applied than individual fibre blends. Here,
processes like ionic liquids can be applied to stimulate fiber separation.
As these have been a recent discovery through R&D processes, they have not been applied at scale yet and require further research and pilot projects to ensure they can be economically and geographically applied. Last, incorporating chemicals into fiber regeneration that are safe, specifically bluesign label certified, would ensure not only improved recycling habits, but also support the usage of safe chemicals
during the textile treatment process. Through incorporating EPR and fiber regeneration into the
textile lifecycle, as well as the addition of safe, bluesign certified chemicals, the end-of-life phase
of textiles can be greatly improved.
RSS Feed
