Researchers at the University of Delaware have developed a basic method of recycling clothes that can destroy fabrics in just 15 minutes, which could have major consequences for the fashion industry.
Textile waste has a negative impact on the world. Globally, it’s estimated that more than 101 million tons of fashion waste ends up in landfills each year, according to Earth.org — that’s the equivalent of a garbage truck’s worth of clothes thrown in among piles of garbage every second.
In addition to the huge environmental damage associated with fast fashion, residents living near landfills are also suffering. According to The Guardian, residents living near a “global slaughterhouse” for used clothing in Chile’s Atacama Desert often inhale toxic fumes from discarded clothing when they are burned.
That’s why scientists and companies are looking for quick solutions to clean up waste in the fashion industry. Fortunately, a recycling method proposed by UD researchers may provide a viable option. It melts blended fabrics, such as cotton, polyester, nylon, and spandex, down to their molecular structure using chemical radiation and microwaves, as The Washington Post reports report.
Through this chemical process, the researchers said that molecules can be used to produce new clothes or other products, such as dye, electronic equipment and car parts.
This would create a real circular system where old clothes are sold to make new things instead of being thrown away at the end of their life cycle.
Unfortunately, many companies that recycle clothing are unable to separate mixed fabrics, so it is often left up to consumers and companies to find sustainable ways, as Post explained. In this regard, thrift shopping is becoming more and more popular, and some companies are working to create more durable, high-quality clothing.
However, using chemicals can help as a last resort.
“This will be the last step for the remnants that have no other purpose,” Tasha Lewis, assistant professor of fashion studies at Ohio State University, told the Post.
As the result explained, the UD researchers’ method of recycling is unique because they do not need to know what materials were used to make the clothes for the method to work. However, it has only been tested in a laboratory and may take 10 years before it can be used commercially.
Fortunately, companies are stepping up to help consumers make sustainable decisions now. For example, Balenciaga partnered with Swiss company Qwstion to create a biodegradable shoe out of bananas, and non-profit organization Cotton Incorporated launched a program to repair jeans that conserved denim. more than four million from the landfill.
The fewer pieces of clothing in the trash, the less harmful methane gas is released into the atmosphere, which will help cool the earth and keep people safe from extreme weather events driven by our planet. warm up.
Upcycling helps, but buying second-hand or sustainably shopping is even better – for our wallets and for Mother Earth.
Subscribe to our free newsletter for weekly updates on the best creative ideas to improve our lives and to save our planet.
#Scientists #discovered #breakthrough #change #future #fashion #step