The textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. It depletes natural resources, pollutes soils and rivers, increases greenhouse gases.
Cotton is one major product in the textile industry, but The textile industry but, Is cotton a Renewable resource? Growing organic cotton reduces this impact by being chemical-free. Although this crop requires a good quantity of water and contributes to the impoverishment of the soil, it remains a good alternative to traditional cotton.
Recycled cotton has a smaller ecological footprint because it gives a second life to potential waste, and no new material has been produced. This material is much more ecological than conventional cotton: very little water, no fertilizer, no pesticides, no intensive agriculture on monoculture plots that have previously required deforestation. Recycled cotton can find its “pre” or “post-consumer” deposit; it can be industrial cotton scraps (for example, the material lost when cutting the rolls during the making of a garment).
Recycled cotton thus contributes to the fight against textile waste; it is part of a circular economy.
Cotton has a considerable advantage since it can be shredded at the end of a garment’s life and then passed on to make a new material.
One of the special features of cotton is that it is often used as a blend with other textiles. It is an easy-care and versatile fabric.
Recycling cotton is a useful gesture: the more we recycle, the less we destroy.
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What does recycled cotton look like?
The fibers are a little shorter than the natural fibers, newly produced. Recycled cotton is sometimes criticized for being of lower quality and pilling over time and washing. Research & Development are underway to do better in the years to come.
It is usually found mixed with other fibers; it can be new cotton or other materials.
How to recycle cotton?
As we make clothes, we accumulate them. As long as the garment is used, its production is justified; otherwise, all potential raw materials are not used.
By recovering these scraps, clothes, fabrics and recycling them to transform them again, we challenge the traditional pattern of production, which is harmful to the environment.
Recycling cotton works like recycling of any other textile:
Cotton is collected, regardless of its condition: clothing, scraps, fabrics, or waste.
What is collected is crushed and returned to the state of fibers.
The fibers are twisted into a thread, transformed into the fabric to give life to a new garment.
Recycling of old clothes
The first way to recycle cotton is to salvage old clothes. In our wardrobe, there are a lot of clothes that we no longer wear. It is important to regularly sort your wardrobes to get rid of your old clothes without throwing them in the trash: sell them, donate them to associations or relay stations. They will be redistributed for reuse or recycling. The clothes that we do not throw away and recycle (recycling or reuse) can greatly improve our impact on the environment by saving resources and raw materials.
The so-called “post-consumer” recycled cotton comes from recycling old clothes. The clothes are collected, then sorted for the quality of their fibers. They are then recycled into textile fibers. These are then used to make new so-called “recycled” clothes.
In general, when sorting, cotton is sorted by color. This avoids having to dye them again. This is better, but it can lead to less solid colors.
When recycled cotton is of lower quality, it is used to make towels, paper, or at worst, insulating material for buildings.
Recycle cotton scraps
The so-called “pre-consumer” recycled cotton comes from excess material resulting from clothes making. This includes unused threads and cotton scraps.
In production – to make a garment – we start with a fabric from which we cut the shapes of the garment that we want to develop. At this cutting step, it is estimated that 10 to 20% of the fabric is lost because the shapes do not optimize 100% of the fabric. The loss of this tissue is inevitable, and these losses vary from product to product. These fabric scraps end up in the trash and, therefore, in nature most of the time.
At this stage, it is interesting to suggest that the workshops collect these cotton scraps or even buy them at a low price. This allows them to get rid of waste for them, sometimes even earning money. Here, upcycling does not work because the offcuts are too small, and making a garment with it would be like making a huge patchwork.
By upgrading these offcuts, we limit the amount of waste in nature. It, therefore, becomes more interesting for these workshops to isolate and keep their cotton scraps and sell them for recycling rather than throwing them away.
Cotton from recycled waste
Recycling often rhymes with waste, yet this happens as a last resort when we cannot recycle the cotton from clothing, fabrics, or scraps. Clothes discarded and put in the trash outside the recycling cycle end up burnt or landfill.
To recycle them, you must then recover the cotton clothes, clean them, ensure the quality of the fibers and then start the cotton recycling process.
The cotton waste recycling process is therefore not optimal. On the other hand, as seen above, this waste was before unused fabric scraps, abandoned rolls, or worn clothing. Therefore, it is essential to go back in the life cycle of a product to collect this cotton fiber upstream as long as it is easy to revalue. By recycling a little earlier in the cycle, we can achieve excellent quality cotton fibers.
The differences between upcycling and recycling cotton
Upcycling involves giving used fabrics or clothing a second life without re-transforming these clothing into fiber.
On the other hand, recycling involves recovering clothing or fabric for mechanical shredding to return it to the state of fiber and then pass it on to be reused for weaving or knitting.
The advantages of recycled cotton
Recycled cotton requires energy but still has a much lower energy expenditure than standard cotton. It also requires very little water and does not consume any pesticides.
It has the immediate advantage of preventing the accumulation of textile waste in landfills. This recycling of textile waste avoids the production of pollutants such as greenhouse gases during fresh materials. Moreover, Donating clothing or textiles is a huge advantage for other countries with very high demand.
In addition to being a natural material, a fabric with a flexible textile fiber, cotton is soft against the skin and offers great resistance. It keeps warm, not too much, and is easy to wash.
The disadvantages of recycled cotton
Recycling cotton is not always feasible, especially when the old garments collected are made from a blend of cotton and synthetic fibers. Poor quality cotton and polyester clothing will therefore be difficult to recycle, so it is important to be careful with the clothes we buy.
In addition, Cotton recycling is carried out through complex mechanical processes that consume energy. Recycled cotton, therefore, does not have a neutral impact on the environment, even if it remains better than standard cotton.
Recycled cotton insulation, an eco-friendly choice
Recycled cotton is a durable material ideal for renovating and insulating your home. It comes from cutting and clothing waste, mainly old damaged or unusable jeans. The use of recycled cotton as insulation combines thermal and acoustic performance.
It is a natural (plant-based) insulation ideal for home insulation work.
Cotton insulation is made from over 85% post-consumer recycled cotton fibers. The fabrics are washed, sanitized, and frayed into insulation material.
Recycled cotton insulation provides excellent thermal insulation for a comfortable winter, with durable insulation against the cold. Indeed, the fibers obtained after having frayed clothes or jeans are resistant and resilient.
Efficient heat insulation ensures a very comfortable summer. In addition, cotton can store and reduce heat without being hot. It performs much better in summer than the various forms of traditional insulation.
To recap, recycled cotton is proving to be the optimal insulator for your home.
In addition to being a very good thermal and sound insulator, recycled cotton protects your construction against mold and insects by absorbing moisture from the air. It also helps reduce virgin cotton and chemicals, thereby minimizing environmental impacts.
The product is available in rolls of various thicknesses and is flame retardant against boron salts.
Depending on the shape of the material, cotton wool is suitable for several types of work to improve the energy performance of your home:
- In panels: for interior wall insulation, sloping roofs, lost or converted attics, floors,
- In rolls: for lost or convertible attics, floors,
- Bulk: ideal for lost attics
Recycling has a future for the textile industry so, as much as you can recycle, upcycle, donate, revalue. And above all, do not throw away: recycle.
