Scientists Aim To Turn Used Clothes Into New Recyclable Garments

One of the most polluting industries in the world is fashion. It accounts for 10% of total carbon emissions and is the second-largest water consuming industry in the world, as well as the industry that heavily pollutes the ocean with microplastic. But now those worries will gradually disappear thanks to an invention in the fashion industry. 

Recently Re: newcell of Sweden has successfully turned used cotton into a biodegradable pulp named Circulose, which could become a new garment material. It was developed to reduce the problems of waste arising in the fashion industry. Cotton materials will now be recycled and used for new clothes instead of being decomposed or burned.

Circulose is produced through fabrics with high levels of cotton and viscose, which can be dissolved to extract the fibers. The finished product is then dried to create a biodegradable raw material (the Circulose pulp), and returned to the production cycle. The used cotton fabric will be separated as well as dyed to become colorless pulp. 

The advantage of this method is substantial sustainability as compared to the traditional way of producing clothes. The reason is that this method uses fewer chemicals, less water, and less carbon dioxide released. The garments from this method can be recycled many more times.

Currently, about 7000 tons of pulp are produced annually at the Re: newcell factory. It has been certified and is used for cotton fibers. They are sustainable, organic and can help take advantage of the better use of existing resources on the planet. 

The development potential of the Re: newcell project is enormous as there are currently 80 billion clothing items are being produced each year. The plant will also collaborate with other apparel brands that are in demand for this. For example, Adidas has produced sneaker that is made from reusable and recyclable plastic.