What Are Blended Fabrics, and Why Are They a Challenge for Recycling?

For the Lazies - A 30-Second Summary

Blended fabrics are materials made from two or more types of fibres, like cotton-polyester or wool-nylon blends. These combinations make recycling difficult because separating the fibres requires advanced technology. Despite these challenges, advancements such as chemical recycling and fibre separation processes are paving the way for better solutions. Understanding the types of fabrics and recycling methods can help us reduce textile waste and improve sustainability.

What Are Blended Fabrics?

Blended fabrics combine natural and synthetic fibres to achieve desirable qualities like durability, elasticity, or wrinkle resistance. Common examples include:

• Cotton-Polyester: Combines cotton’s softness with polyester’s durability.

• Wool-Nylon: Adds strength and flexibility to wool garments.

• Spandex Blends: Offers stretchability in activewear and swimwear.

While these fabrics are practical and widely used, they pose significant challenges for recycling.

Why Are Blended Fabrics Hard to Recycle?

The main difficulty with blended fabrics is separating the different fibre types. Recycling processes often require pure materials, but the tightly interwoven fibres in blends make separation complex and labour-intensive. Other challenges include:

• Incompatible Recycling Methods: Natural and synthetic fibres often require different recycling processes, making it hard to treat blends effectively.

• Adhesives and Dyes: Blends often use chemical treatments or dyes that interfere with recycling machinery.

• Limited Technology: Most current recycling facilities are not equipped to handle blended materials efficiently.

As a result, blended fabrics often end up in landfills, contributing to waste and environmental harm.

Types of Recycling for Different Fabrics

Different types of fabrics require specific recycling methods. Here’s an overview:

• Natural Fibres (Cotton, Wool): These can often be mechanically recycled by shredding the material into fibres for reuse in new textiles or insulation products.

• Synthetic Fibres (Polyester, Nylon): Chemical recycling is commonly used, breaking down materials into their raw components for reprocessing.

• Blended Fabrics: Advanced technologies like fibre separation and enzymatic processes are being developed to handle blends.

Companies are exploring solutions like chemical solvents that can dissolve one fibre type while leaving the other intact, making separation and recycling more feasible.

A small sample of different fabric types. This does not include blends!!

What’s Being Done to Solve the Problem?

Innovative advancements are addressing the challenges of recycling blended fabrics:

• Chemical Recycling: Technologies like depolymerisation are being used to break down synthetic fibres in blends.

• Fibre Separation Machines: New machinery can mechanically separate fibres from blended fabrics, making them easier to recycle.

• Collaborative Initiatives: Organisations worldwide are working together to create scalable solutions for blended fabric recycling.

With continued research and investment, these advancements could revolutionise textile recycling and significantly reduce waste.

Recycling blended fabrics is a challenge, but it’s one we can tackle together. Stay informed about advancements in textile recycling and support innovative solutions like those being explored at SevenC’s Recycling. By working towards better recycling practices, we can reduce waste and create a more sustainable future for WA.

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