How to Recycle Textiles: Industrial Processes and System Planning

The global textile industry produces an enormous amount of waste each year, including fabric offcuts, defective rolls, design samples, and post-consumer textiles. It is estimated that nearly 92 million tons of textile waste are produced worldwide annually, creating growing environmental and disposal challenges.

As sustainability regulations continue to expand, governments and brands are placing greater emphasis on textile recycling and waste management. Policies such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) are increasing expectations for how textile products are collected, recycled and handled throughout their lifecycle.

Under these changing conditions, understanding how textiles are recycled through industrial process and system planning has become increasingly important for textile manufacturers.

The Environmental Impact of Textile Waste

Textile waste affects the environment throughout the production and disposal process, from resource consumption to landfill pollution.

More Emissions from Virgin Material Production

Producing virgin fibers and fabrics requires large amounts of energy and raw materials. When reusable textile waste such as scraps and offcuts is discarded instead of recycled, these resources are wasted and has to spend more resource in producing new ones.

Growing Pressure on Landfills

Studies have shown that 87% of the discarded fabric ends up in landfills worldwide. Synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon may remain there for decades before decomposing.

Emissions from Transportation

Transporting textile waste to disposal facilities also increases carbon emissions through trucks, fuel consumption, and logistics operations.

Microplastics in the Environment

As synthetic textiles break down, they release microplastic particles into soil and water systems, eventually entering marine ecosystems and the human food chain.

The Economic Impact of Inefficient Textile Recycling

In addition to environmental concerns, insufficient recycling systems can also increase operational costs and reduce material recovery efficiency.

Loss of Recoverable Materials

Studies suggest that more than 90% of textile waste can potentially be reused or recycled. Many discarded materials, including fabric offcuts, samples, and defective rolls, still contain valuable fibers and production value. Without proper recycling systems, these usable materials are lost before they can return to manufacturing.

Higher Disposal and Logistics Costs

Collecting, transporting, handling, and disposing of textile waste requires additional labor, fuel, and landfill expenses.

Reduced Material Utilization Efficiency

When reusable textile materials are discarded, manufacturers may need to purchase more virgin materials to maintain production output.

The Common Methods of Textile Recycling

Textile recycling is generally divided into two main approaches: closed-loop recycling and open-loop recycling. The main difference lies in whether the recovered material returns to textile production or is converted into materials for other applications.

Closed-loop recycling

Closed-loop recycling converts discarded textiles back into raw materials for new textile production. In this system, recovered fibers are processed and reused within the textile manufacturing cycle.

This method is most effective for clean and uncontaminated textile waste, especially production waste generated before products reach consumers. Materials such as fabric offcuts, unused samples, and defective rolls can be opened and processed back into fibers for spinning new yarns. Since these materials require less sorting and cleaning, manufacturers can recover and reuse a significant portion of production waste more efficiently.

Open-loop recycling

Not all textile waste can easily return to textile manufacturing, especially post-consumer waste with mixed materials, stains, or contamination. In these cases, open-loop recycling is commonly used.

Instead of producing new textiles, open-loop recycling converts discarded fabrics into materials for other products. Through processes such as shredding and fiber opening, textile waste can be reused in applications such as industrial wiping cloths, furniture padding, automotive insulation, carpet underlay, and building insulation materials.

This approach helps recover usable material value from textile waste that is difficult to recycle back into fabrics.

Together, closed-loop and open-loop recycling help increase material recovery and reduce the amount of textile waste sent to landfills.

How to Recycle Textiles

Textile recycling typically involves several stages that transform discarded fabrics and yarns into reusable fibers. While the exact process may vary depending on the materials and recycling technology used, most industrial recycling systems follow a similar workflow.

(1) Collection

The recycling process begins with the collection of textile waste, including both pre-consumer and post-consumer materials. Pre-consumer waste comes from textile mills and garment factories, such as fabric offcuts, defective rolls, and unused samples. Post-consumer waste mainly consists of used clothing and other textile products discarded after purchase.

(2) Sorting

Collected materials are then sorted according to fiber type, structure, and contamination level. Materials such as cotton, polyester, wool, or blended fabrics may require different recycling methods, so proper classification is essential before entering the recycling line. Sorting may be carried out manually or with automated identification technologies.

(3) Pre-processing

Before fiber recovery begins, textile materials often go through pre-processing. At this stage, garments, woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics, or yarn waste may be cut into suitable sizes to prepare them for further processing. Buttons, zippers, and other attachments are usually removed during this step.

However, certain loose cotton waste generated in spinning mills, such as droppings cotton or cutting waste cotton, is already in a loose fiber form. These materials can typically enter the next stage directly without additional cutting.

For textile materials that still require size reduction before fiber opening, textile waste cutting machines can help process large fabrics and textile scraps into more manageable pieces for downstream recycling operations.

(4) Fiber Opening

In the fiber opening stage, mechanical equipment loosens and separates the textile structure. Through processes such as shredding and fiber opening, fabrics and yarns are gradually broken down and returned to a reusable fiber state. This step is critical for recovering fibers that can be reused in subsequent manufacturing processes. For a closer look at the machinery used in this stage, explore Long Bliss’s Fiber Opener Machine (LB-208).

(5) Cleaning

During fiber opening, dust, short fibers, and other impurities are generated. Dust collection and cleaning systems are used to remove these particles, helping improve the quality and consistency of the recycled fibers.

(6) Baling

Once the fibers are processed and cleaned, they are compressed into bales for easier storage and transportation. Baling helps stabilize the material and allows recycled fibers to be efficiently handled in bulk. This process is typically carried out using baling machines such as Long Bliss’s baling machine.

(7) Reuse or Further Processing

Finally, the recovered fibers can be used as recycled raw materials in a variety of applications. Depending on fiber quality and composition, recycled fibers may be used to produce recycled yarns, non-woven fabrics, insulation materials, cushioning products, or stuffing for furniture and automotive components.

Conclusion

Textile waste is no longer just a disposal issue. It also affects costs, resources, and sustainability across the textile industry. With the right recycling methods and systems, discarded materials can be turned into valuable resources again. If you are looking to improve your recycling process, contact us today.