Abstract
Recycling in the textile and clothing sector can take several forms. The best
known method involves the manufacture of a textile or clothing product from
recycled consumer waste - such as plastic bottles or waste polyester yarns or
fabrics. Other forms involve the reuse of waste textile and clothing products
in a way which avoids throwing the items away, such as: shredding the products
into fibres for sound insulation; redistributing the items in the form of
second-hand clothing via charity shops or textile merchants (also known as rag
collectors); and reusing fabrics for "eco-fashion".
Recycling in the textile and clothing industry offers companies important
benefits, particularly from an environmental viewpoint. However, only a
handful of prominent international textile and clothing companies are heavily
involved in recycling. Examples of these firms are: USA-based Jimtex Yarns, a
producer of recycled eco-friendly fibres and yarns and part of USA-based
Martex Fiber Southern Corporation; Japan-based Teijin Fibers; USA-based Unifi,
which is the owner of the Repreve brand of yarns made from 100% recycled
materials; the USA-based clothing producer American Apparel; the UK-based
apparel retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S); the USA-based outdoor apparel producer
Patagonia; the USA-based fleece fabric maker Polartec; the Japan-based
clothing retailer Uniqlo; and the USA-based retailer Wal-Mart.
To encourage recycling in the EU, new legislation came into force on December
12, 2008, in the form of a revised Waste Framework Directive (WFD). The
revised directive, which aims to make it easier for EU citizens and
corporations to recycle, has nominated textiles as a "priority waste stream"
because the recycling of textiles is deemed to bring with it significant
environmental and economic benefits. The next step for the EU is to decide
upon an EU-wide definition of the exact stage of the refuse process at which
discarded textile products cease to become waste and, instead, become
materials to be recycled.
Companies which are interested in getting more involved in textile and
clothing recycling can take comfort from the fact that textile recycling is
well supported commercially by numerous industry associations - and
politically by government initiatives in many of the world' s largest
economies. In addition, there are plenty of non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) involved in textile recycling, such as UK-based Textile Recycling for
Aid and International Development (TRAID) and the Goonj project in India.
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