Table of Contents

Acknowledgement........................................................................................................2
1. Introduction:...........................................................................................................4
1.1.

Objectives:..........................................................................................................4

1.1.1.

To develop understanding towards the purpose of textile recycling...............4

1.1.2.

To discern the basics of 3 Rs through various cases....................................4

1.1.3. To gauge the extent of awareness regarding the concept of textile recycling
amongst users..............................................................................................................4
2.

Methodology ....................................................................................................5

3.

Data Analysis and Interpretation.........................................................................5

3.1.

Textile waste management..............................................................................5

3.1.1.

Reduce .........................................................................................................6

3.1.2.

Reuse ...........................................................................................................6

3.1.3

Recycle ..........................................................................................................7

3.2.

Awareness of Textile Recyclin......................................................................10

4.

Conclusion .......................................................................................................13

5.

References ......................................................................................................14

6.

Appendix ...........................................................................................................15

6.1

Survey on Textile Recycling ...........................................................................15

1. Introduction:
Today, in the world of modern technologies, the demand for production is increasing
so rapidly in all aspects of the required living commodities. The increasing demand
for textile making huge clothing production is not only based on demand for more
population but its also changing new fashion habits as well. The problem is not for
cheap or expensive clothing, but the problem is the working conditions and the
standard earning of the people, those who are working in these sectors especially in
developing world. Since, today the world is fully aware of global warming issues,
which is affecting our environment and causes more problems regarding to CO 2 in
our space. Today, we need more concern to Renewable energy and recycling
processes, in order to utilize resources in efficient way. (Ishfaq M., 2013)
When we talk about textile recycling process, the main focus comes to energy
sources which are utilized in the process of textile recycling. Therefore, there are few
resources which have to utilize efficiently while environmental issues and economic
issues taking into account therefore reducing CO2 and Implementation of best
recycling technologies, in order to make recycling process more precise. Today,
many countries in the world are already using the best technologies under all
perspectives from raw material to waste to generating new products. (Ishfaq M.,
2013)
Apart from that a basic survey was conducted by researcher in order to understand
persistence of awareness amongst commoners for recycling, reusing and reducing
consumption of products. Questions were planned to discern practice of above
discussed concept amongst them since awareness towards recycling and practicing
it are all together different aspects.

1.1. Objectives:
1.1.1. To develop understanding towards the purpose of textile recycling.
1.1.2. To discern the basics of 3 Rs through various cases
1.1.3. To gauge the extent of awareness regarding the concept of textile
recycling amongst users.

2. Methodology:
An exploratory study has been planned out and data has been collected by means of
desk research and primary research. For the execution of primary research
questionnaire method has been adopted and a questionnaire comprising of sixteen
questions was formulated online at google form. The questionnaire drafted was
circulated amongst fifty-two subjects out of whom thirty-five responded. Hence, the
sample size for the present survey was of thirty-five respondents.

3. Data Analysis and Interpretation:

The data has been retrieved by means desk and engendered through e-survey
executed by using google forms. The data collected elucidated the commercial areas
where effective textile management has been carried out while primary information
gathered reveals information pertaining to the practice and awareness amongst
textile recycling amongst common users. The generated has been discussed under
following heads:

3.1. Textile waste management :

Textile Waste recycling is the process to take into reuse all kind of recyclable
material, from material making different types of products for customers use.
Furthermore, waste is the process to dispose of or destroy the things which are not
in use or we do not need them anymore. Textile waste recycling is the process which
tends to recycle clothes and make new clothes to reuse in the different form of other
products and the same kind of clothes depending on the nature and substance and
type of recyclable. At the moment, in order to increase demand and textile recycling
is the best and efficient way to develop new products under sustainability. (Ashjaran
A. Azarmi R., 2015)

There are different techniques to recycle textile waste; one is based on post
consumer textiles, where the resources are used at minimal level, like energy and
raw material. Therefore, post consumer is the technique where only 4 to 6 percent of
total residual waste can is generated which is minimal compare to producing new
products, in the post consumer textile includes clothes, towels, blanket, rags, socks
curtains and shoes, table clothes and bed sheets. Similar there are other type of
techniques as well for example, pre consumer materials and chippings and cuttings
are the efficient methods. Moreover, in the post consumer material are included such

waste which is generated from processing apparels, textile manufacturing process,

knitting and nonwoven materials are included. On the other hand, chippings and
cuttings are also one of the huge amounts of textile waste; this kind of waste is
generated at the time of finalizing products scrap material. Thus, there are different
types of materials needed to be recycled but the mostly single component fibre will
be more feasible to recycle under the minimum process at low level processing
prices.
The implementation of 3Rs i.e. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are the most common
approach towards waste management these days. The three Rs are elaborated as
below:
3.1.1. Reduce: The term reduce is used, in order to reduced waste and waste generating
activities, at the same time to decrease the total consumption of energy on the
reducing the total flow of over production and over processing, in which also effect
on the environment in addition to this protecting and making our environment friendly
for human on this planet. (Caulfield,2009)
Case

1:

Tara

St

James:

Brooklyn-based

designer, previously of mainstream eco-friendly

sportswear label Covet, creates city-friendly
pieces often with trompe l'oeil details and quirkycool prints. Uses organic cotton, linen, handdyed fabrics and recycled materials. Strives for
no-waste pattern-making and production, and
makes everything locally in New York.

Figure 1: Clothes made of Recycled cotton

Sourced: www.study-ny.com

3.1.2. Reuse: Over waste and unnecessary waste can be controlled which comes from
over processing and using the raw material in excessive way. That leads in the end
over wastes and there is no use of it after the product is completed.

The recycling process of textile waste, takes place in different forms, distribution
channels and other resources which are utilized such as, resale, redistribution and
online shops which sale second hand products. Like, Amazon and ebay are the good
example of using the informal reuse.(Caulfield, 2009)

Case

2:

Goonj

project

founded in 1998 by Anshu

Gupta,

collects

unused

clothing from all over India to

then recycle the materials to
provide clothes, sanitary and
many other basic amenities
to people living in poorer
communities

across

the

country.
Figure 2: Collected clothes for recycling
www.goonj.org

The 300 plus volunteers and mass participation of housewives, professionals,

schools, colleges, corporates, exporters, hotels and hospitals behind the recycling
and distribution center help to send out over 20,000 kgs of recycled waste materials
every single month.1
3.1.3. Recycling: There are basic fundamental of textile recycling such as, reclaiming
fibre, shredding fabric and re-spinning in the yarn. Other mechanical methods are
also used in the fibres processing chemically; most of these fibres are included like,
polyester, nylon and polypropylene. The basic processing idea behind of this
involves in order to breaking down the fibre into different integrated form and then repolymerising the feedback and in the end it tends to predict most accurately quality
of fibres. The main reason to process it chemically is to treat the natural content out
of mixed material, the processing of dying make enables natural fibre can be reused.
(Caulfield, 2009)
Case 3: According to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) located in Dalton, and
other organizations which are working in the related field of carpet recycling, they

say that carpet can be refurbished, on the other hand some organizations claims that
the life of carpet can be extended, repair the tiles of carpet and reclaim extend the
durability and life time of carpet. In order to do so, there are technologies available in
order to recycle used carpets into closed-loop recycling system.
Case 4: Active wear clothing brand Patagonia is well known for its Common
Threads Recycling Program, which enables customers to send in their old, wornout garments like fleece sweaters and cotton t-shirts to be made into new clothing.
Aided by modern-day quality controls, the Patagonia wool goes through a meticulous
sorting of materials into color categories prior to shredding. By selecting and
blending colors of dyed wool fabrics and garments, they eliminate the dyeing
process, saving water and chemicals and eliminating the resulting wastewater.
Recycled used soda bottles, unusable manufacturing waste and worn-out garments
are converted into polyester fibers to produce clothing like shell jackets, board shorts
and fleece.
Case 5- Jindal Woollen: Sweaters are imported from big countries like America.
These sweaters are collected from old clothing by inspection of labels and hand feel
of cashmere by well trained and experienced personnel. These sweaters are further
seperated as per shades and the process of regenerating fiber is carried out on the
material.2
Case 6: The popular American denim brand
Levis, is expanding its recycling program to all its
US

locations,

including

its

outlet

stores.

Customers are be able to drop off clean, dry

clothing or footwear from any brand at their nearby
Levis. Levis sends all donated clothes to an
I:Collect facility, where the company hand sorts
the items into over 300 categories to determine
what to do with them. Items that are wearable will
be resold so they continue to be worn.

Figure 3: 'Red-Levi', a teddy bear created from old jeans

Source: www.businesswire.com

Pieces that arent wearable will be repurposed, which generally means being
shredded and used as building insulation, cushioning, filling for car seats, or even
filling for stuffed animals. Some will be turned into fibers to be used for new clothing. 4

3.2 Awareness of Textile Recycling amongst Users

How many times do you purchase a new item of clothing in a month?

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
Axis Title 21
0

Figure 4: Graph showing frequency of purchase of a new item.

The above graph shows that most of the people surveyed buy more than two
garments in a month.
While the bottom graph shows that more than half of the people throw away more
than three items in a year.

How many tex tile items did you throw away last year?
Above 12
9-12 times
4-8 times
1-3 times
0

10

12

14

16

18

No. of People

Figure 5: Graph showing no. of garments thrown away in a year.

What do you do with your worn out clothes when you no longer need them?

Keep them at home

and use them as rags

3%3%

Throw them
Donate them
45%

38%

Give them to friends

or relatives
Sell them

10%

Figure 6: Graph showing use of worn out clothes when not required

It is clear from the above analysis that almost three-fourth of the people surveyed
reuse their clothes unknowingly. It is seen that 45% of them use the worn out clothes
as rugs while 38% of them donate the clothes.
It was also seen that when good conditioned clothes are concerned, 38% of the
people choose to donate them.

What do you do with your good condition clothes when you no longer need them?
Keep them at home
and use them as rags

3%
24%

24%

10%

Throw them
Donate them
Give them to relatives
or friends
Sell them

38%

Figure 7: Graph showing use of good conditioned clothes when not required

Are you aware about textile recycling?

No

Reponses
Yes

0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

Percentage of People
Figure 8: Graph showing awareness about textile recycling

In this graph it is seen that more than 70% of the youth are aware about textile
recycling while more than 85% of them know of the obvious meaning of recycling.
This proves that the awareness of textile recycling is present in the youth.

What do you understand by Textile Recycling?

7%

Reusing of old
products to make new
things

7%

Selling your clothes to

earn money
Concept by major
fashion brands
86%

Figure 9: Graph showing understanding of textile recycling amongst youth

Would you prefer buying recycled products from the market?

No

Yes

0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

Figure 10: Willingness to use recycled products

It was also proven that more than 75% of the people were willing to buy recycled
products from the market. This graph shows that people do have a sense of
preventing pollution and are ready to promote recycling
Also, according to 62% of the people surveyed, reusing of textiles is the best
approach of textile recycling

Which, according to you, is the best method of textile recycling?

70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%

Reusing

Reducing

Recycling

Figure11: Graph showing that reusing of textiles is the best approach.

4) Conclusion
There is an increase in concerns towards the recycling of waste or rather worn out
products. Few industries have sprung up to recycle textile waste load to develop
right products for niche market. Certainly, there is awareness amongst mass towards
the concept of recycling and its importance. But why should they do this? and what
should they do for it?, remains the question for them. Thus, there is an urgent need
to sensitize mass towards adoption of measures that reduce textile waste load along
with its repercussions. It has been observed that people are often disconcerted when
it comes to buying or wearing recycled clothes. For them, wearing clothes made from
the recycled fabric is for the poor and the needs. This mindset is what, should be
removed. In the era of recycling everyone is equal as everyone shares the same
planet.
Textile recycling should be adopted as it can be a new way to generate employment
both for the literate and illiterate. It also generates a new socially acceptable trade
where people can enjoy high-quality clothes, which most of them could not afford if
they had to buy them new and stop pollution at the same time.

5) References:
1. www.goonj.org
2. http://www.jindalwoollen.com/
3. Ishfaq M. (2013). German textile recycling benchmarking, HAMK University of
Applied
Science,
Finland.
Available
at:
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/harvard_referencing_examples_tcm4439847.pdf [ Accessed on 15th July 2015]
4. Business Wire. (2015). Levi Strauss & Co. Expands Clothing Recycling
Initiative
to
All
U.S.
Stores,Available
at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150721005564/en/Levi-StraussExpands-Clothing-Recycling-Initiative-U.S.#.VdPro7Kqqko [Accessed on 30th
July 2015]
5. Ashjaran A. Azarmi R. (2015)Survey on common bio fibers and polymers in
recyclable textiles, Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, vol.7,
no.3. Pp.202-208. Available at: http://jocpr.com/vol7-iss3-2015/JCPR-2015-73-202-208.pdf [Accessed on 15th July 2015]
6. Caulfield K.(2009). Sources of textile waste in Australia,Apical Internation Pvt.
Ltd.
Available
at:
http://www.nacro.org.au/wpcontent/uploads/2013/04/TEXTILE-WASTE-PAPER-March-2009-final.pdf
[ Accessed on 15th July 2015]

6) Appendix

6.1 Survey On Textile Recycling

1.
2.
3.

Name
Age
Gender
Male
Female

4.

What is your monthly allowance?

Less than Rs.2000
2000-3000
3000-5000
More than Rs.5000

5.

How much do you usually spend on clothing in a month?

Less than Rs.500
Rs.500-1000
Rs.1000-2000
Rs.2000-4000
More than Rs.4000

6.

How many times do you purchase a new item of clothing in a month?

2-3 times
4-5 times
Once a month
Once in 3 months

7. What do you do with your worn out clothes when you no longer need them?
Keep them at home and use them as rags
Throw them
Donate them
Give them to relatives or friends
Sell them
8. What do you do with your good condition clothes when you no longer need
them?
Keep them at home and use them as rags
Throw them
Donate them
Give them to relatives or friends
Sell them
9. Why do you stop wearing your good conditioned clothes?

They go out of fashion

Lack of interest/Monotony
Other:

10. How many textile items did you throw away last year?
1-3
4-8
9-12
Above 12
11. Have you heard of textile recycling?
Yes
No
12. What do you understand by textile recycling?
Reusing of old products to make new things
Selling your clothes to earn money
Concept by major fashion brands
13. Are you aware of the benefits of clothing and textile recycling?
Not really
Not all of the benefits
All the benefits
14. Have you ever tried reusing your garments?
Yes
No
15. If yes, then how?
16. Would you prefer buying recycled products from the market?
Yes
No
17. Which, according to you, is the best method of textile recycling?
Reusing
Reducing
Recycling