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These recycling techniques could help keep clothes out of landfills

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By illuminem briefings

· 2 min read


illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Scientists are developing cutting-edge recycling techniques—like using static electricity and near-infrared spectroscopy—to sort and recycle mixed-fiber textiles, one of fashion’s biggest environmental hurdles
These innovations aim to recover valuable fibers from blended fabrics that typically end up in landfills or incinerators

🔭 The context: Despite mounting textile waste, less than 1% of clothing materials are recycled into new garments
One core challenge lies in the complexity of modern fabrics, often made from a mix of synthetic and natural fibers that are difficult and costly to separate
Without centralized infrastructure, most textile collection in the U.S. falls to charities, and mills often reject reused fibers due to strict quality standards

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Textile waste is a fast-growing environmental concern, with 85% of U.S. textiles ending up in landfills or incinerators
By advancing technologies like electrostatic separation, spectroscopy, and enzyme-based recycling, researchers are unlocking ways to close the loop in fashion production
If scaled and supported by industry, these techniques could help transform fast fashion’s linear model into a more circular, resource-efficient system
However, high costs, technical barriers, and limited mill acceptance still stand in the way

⏭️ What's next: Industry players must invest in innovation-friendly fiber mills and adopt quality standards for recycled inputs
Policy incentives could accelerate infrastructure for textile collection and processing
Scientific work will continue refining sorting and recycling methods—mechanical, chemical, and biological—with an eye on minimizing environmental trade-offs

💬 One quote: “Consumers want to wear recycled fibers. They want to do the right thing.” – Abigail Clarke-Sather, University of Minnesota Duluth

📈 One stat: 85% of textiles in the U.S. are either landfilled or incinerated, according to the Environmental Protection Agency

See here detailed sustainability performance of companies like Patagonia and H&M

Click for more news covering the latest on sustainable lifestyle

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