ABSTRACT
The $882 billion textile trade in 2021 poses environmental concerns, highlighting the importance of encouraging a circular economy to attain sustainable textiles. Therefore, policies must prioritize textile recycling, particularly in developing countries, and sharing information throughout the value chain. This research aims to explore the potential environmental benefits of two industrial recycling processes for textile residues versus the traditional waste management and production process through a life cycle assessment applying the ReCiPe method at midpoint and endpoint levels focusing on generating significant data availability and broader assessment than existing literature to support decision making related to recycling systems for textile residues. Results related to the textile residues recycling process to obtain stripes (R1) and replace sawdust, to fill pushing balls, show that it would produce environmental benefits regardless of location in several midpoint categories. Furthermore, regarding the endpoint results, the DALY savings are mainly due to avoiding landfill, while the savings in ecosystem impacts are generated by avoiding landfill and sawdust production. Regarding the recycling process to obtain recycled yarn and fill (R2) net savings in global warming potential are generated if landfill avoidance is considered. Nevertheless, endpoint results show that DALYs of all the avoided processes correspond to 1.5 times the impacts of all the R2 recycling processes, mainly due to avoiding virgin yarn production. Therefore, both recycling processes are recommended. However, some strategies are required to generate greater benefits, such as applying the R2 recycling process as the first option for stretchable textile waste, and after being used, going through the R1 recycling process. In addition, the strategic placement of the R1 recycling facility should be distant from areas of sawdust production. A sensitivity analysis was carried out due to the variability of virgin products to replace in the market.
ABSTRACT
Global population growth and rising living standards are increasing apparel consumption. Consequently, the consumption of resources and the generation of textile waste are increasing exponentially. For instance, according to the World Bank, Chile has increased textile imports by 500% in the last 20 years, even though the population has only increased by 26%. This textile import increase has resulted in the clothing desert that has been seen recently in northern Chile because most of the textiles at the end of their useful life will be disposed of in landfills or open dumps. This evidences the urgency of more efficient technologies that reduce the consumption of resources and that value waste on the way to a circular and sustainable economy. Since the textile recycling industry and environmental impact studies are currently in their nascent stages in Chile, the objective of this article is to explore the potential environmental benefits of a textile recycling process and, therefore, the related challenges towards more sustainable options. The considered textile recycling process incorporates mixed waste and is compared with landfills in terms of CO2eq because it represents the conventional treatment of waste and the substitution of products from primary sources. The results show that textile waste landfills emit 423.4 kg CO2eq per ton, while products from primary sources emit an average of 6496.65 kg CO2eq, compared to the textile recycling process that only it emits 1142.12 kg CO2eq per ton, obtaining an average of 5778 kg CO2eq avoided per ton of textile waste, achieving environmental benefits. However, it is necessary to highlight the dependence of this result on the choice of replaced products and the energy matrix. Thus, we assessed the energy matrix, evaluating the positive impact of implementing an energy matrix based on wind or solar energy.
