Making eco-friendly paper from old clothes
In most cases, old clothes are burned, which creates waste material and harms the environment. Now scientists have turned those old clothes into recyclable, sustainable paper.
Austrian researchers have invented a new method for reusing various cotton-based fabrics into strong and environmentally friendly packaging paper. They claim that this process can greatly reduce fabric waste and eliminate the need to import paper.
Austria generates around 220,000 tons of fabric waste annually, with about 80 per cent being burned, leading to a loss of valuable raw materials, according to Norridge.
Researchers led by Thomas Harter at the Institute of Bioproducts and Paper Technology have developed a method to recover cotton fibers from old clothes and use them as packaging material.
The team says that this new paper is much more sustainable than conventional recycled paper. Researchers create paper from old fabrics by cutting them into small pieces, soaking them in water, and then processing them in a mill. This prevents it from clumping or clumping and allows the different fibers to be easily separated.
As part of his master’s thesis, Alexander Wagner has identified the best method for this process. This includes the right machine selection, processing time and water-to-fabric ratio.
Researchers say that after processing, the fabrics take on a paper pulp-like shape. From there, it is possible to convert different fibers into paper using paper production techniques.
The new paper appears to be ordinary recycled paper, despite having a slight brown tint and small color spots similar to the original fabric. Adding textile fibers to it makes the paper more durable.
Manufacturers claim this new paper, made of 30% textile material, is more durable and easier to produce than traditional paper. This strength comes from the length of the fibers. The length of these textile fibers is about 1.7 millimeters, which is much longer than recycled paper.
The research team is focused on making the process more energy-efficient. Their main goal is to increase paper production and implement this recycling method on an industrial level.
Researchers say this breakthrough could reduce textile waste and make the paper industry more sustainable by transforming discarded clothing into a valuable resource.
