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Environmental impact of Recover cotton in textile industry

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  • Esteve-Turrillas, F.A.
  • de la Guardia, M.

Abstract

A comparative evaluation of the life cycle assessment (LCA) of Recover cotton, obtained from recycled garments, and virgin one, cultivated from traditional and organic crops, has been made based on the quantification of environmental impact categories, such as abiotic depletion, global warming, water use, acidification and eutrophication potential. LCA data reported in the literature for the steps of cultivation, ginning/cutting, and dyeing were compared in order to clearly show the environmental advantages of moving from traditional practices, to organic cultivation and the use of Recover cotton, a novel procedure that involves the production of cotton yarns from coloured and well characterized recycled materials. Studies made evidenced that the use of organic cotton cultivation avoids the use of pesticides and chemicals, reducing environmental impacts, but maintaining those related to ginning and dyeing steps. However, the use of Recover cotton avoids the impact of both, cotton cultivation and dyeing steps, based on an appropriate selection of raw materials obtained from textile wastes, being only increased the energy costs of cutting/shredding processes as compared to ginning ones. In short, it can be concluded that the use of Recover cotton for the production of high quality textiles involves an added value of the products from an environmental point of view, being costs and electrical consumes also reduced and providing a second life for produced textiles.

Suggested Citation

  • Esteve-Turrillas, F.A. & de la Guardia, M., 2017. "Environmental impact of Recover cotton in textile industry," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 107-115.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:116:y:2017:i:c:p:107-115
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.09.034
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chapagain, A.K. & Hoekstra, A.Y. & Savenije, H.H.G. & Gautam, R., 2006. "The water footprint of cotton consumption: An assessment of the impact of worldwide consumption of cotton products on the water resources in the cotton producing countries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 186-203, November.
    2. Woolridge, Anne C. & Ward, Garth D. & Phillips, Paul S. & Collins, Michael & Gandy, Simon, 2006. "Life cycle assessment for reuse/recycling of donated waste textiles compared to use of virgin material: An UK energy saving perspective," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 94-103.
    3. Baydar, G. & Ciliz, N. & Mammadov, A., 2015. "Life cycle assessment of cotton textile products in Turkey," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA), pages 213-223.
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    Cited by:

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    7. Huantian Cao & Kelly Cobb & Michelle Yatvitskiy & Megan Wolfe & Hongqing Shen, 2022. "Textile and Product Development from End-of-Use Cotton Apparel: A Study to Reclaim Value from Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-20, July.

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