BACKGROUND
Occupying nearly 5% of all landfill space, textile waste (e.g., clothing, footwear, accessories, carpets, towels, bedding, drapery) has continued to make a negative impact on our environment. A variety of textile recycling methods have been developed that convert discarded textile fibers into raw materials (e.g., yarn, fibers, polymer chips). Current processes to recycle textiles, such as those employed by Giotex, are time consuming and burden the environment by employing energy intensive processes. Another approach has been given to sustainable garment design and production to reduce waste through efficient use of fabric and designing multi-use, flexible function clothing and redesigning old clothing into contemporary clothing. Ongoing research is being performed to develop an efficient process for sustainable textile and garment production using recycled textiles.
SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY
OSU researchers have developed a novel method that transforms existing textile products into stylish apparel without the need to fully convert textile waste into yarn for reuse. This method is more ecofriendly than current textile recycling techniques, utilizing the principle of Zero Waste combined with a process that does not require a large amount of time and resources. Overall, this method reuses fabric by breaking down existing textile products and assembling those broken down textiles into apparel to meet contemporary taste. The design process integrates garment and textile surface details into the shape of the pattern piece, requiring limited additional sewing.
POTENTIAL AREAS OF APPLICATION
- Post-industrial textile waste
- Post-consumer textile waste
- Fashion design
- Product development
MAIN ADVANTAGES
- Employs the principle of Zero Waste
- Reduces time and energy to transform textile waste into apparel
- Introduces a new method for sustainable garment development and production
STATE OF DEVELOPMENT
This technology has been used to create multiple pieces of apparel, and is undergoing further research and development to enable production at an industrial scale.