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Regenerated or Manmade Cellulosic Fibres (MMCFs)

Now that we’ve covered the main natural fibre types, it’s time to get into manufactured fibres. Regenerated cellulosic fibres (aka manmade cellulosics or MMCFs) are a bit of a hybrid between natural and synthetic fibres, where they are manufactured from naturally occurring polymers. Viscose rayon, the first MMCF, was invented in the late 1800s and was initially branded as synthetic silk – in fact these days some sellers still brand it as “vegan silk”, which it really bears no resemblance to beyond the very superficial.

In Canada, “rayon” is a bit of an umbrella term that encompasses most MMCFs [1], but most people are referring to viscose when talking about rayon. MMCFs account for ~5-6% of the global fibre market [2,3] and include viscose, acetate, lyocell, modal, and cupro. Viscose is by far the most popular of these fibres, representing 80% of this volume.

MMCFs are primarily produced from wood pulp, where the pulp is dissolved, sometimes modified, and regenerated into cellulose again; the different names for these fibres come from the different processing conditions and chemicals used for each [3,4].

Pros:

  • Feels soft next to skin, with a nice drape
  • Dyes very easily
  • Generally lower cost

Cons:

  • Weak fibres, and weaker when wet
  • Vulnerable to fuzzing, or fibrillation (see photo)
  • Popular subjects for greenwashing (spoiler alert: bamboo!)

MMCFs are primarily made from wood pulp, with less than 1% currently being made from recycled or alternative feedstocks [5]. One concern is the sourcing materials from old growth or endangered forests. To address this, more manufacturers are using Forest Stewardship International and/or PEFC-certified fibres, around 55-60% of them as of 2020 [5]. The global nonprofit Canopy Planet also conduct their CanopyStyle audits of major MMCF manufacturers as a third party verification process for apparel brands and retailers to ensure the products they sell have been made from responsibly sourced raw materials [6]. As of 2020, it is now possible for brands to have FSC labels on their certified products, so keep an eye out for those!

On the responsible chemistry and manufacturing side of things, Blue Sign Technologies and ZDHC have created guidelines for MMCFs production, including requirements for wastewater and air emissions testing. Carbon disulphide, which is used in viscose and modal production as a solvent, is toxic and can cause serious health problems [7]. Since it is currently required for the production of these fibres, ZDHC haven’t added it to their restricted substances list, but have instead recommended more guidelines surrounding its responsible use, recovery, and eventual disposal [8].

Viscose is becoming increasingly common and many people still love to wear it. As always, buying used clothing is best but when you have to buy something new, keep an eye out for a more responsibly-produced viscose such as EcoVero or similar, as well as any information from the organizations mentioned above.

Textiles labeled as “bamboo” is a greenwashing tactic we still see EVERYWHERE, even though government organizations such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Canadian Competition Bureau are actively working to keep it from happening [9,10].

Bamboo is a bast (stem) fibre. If collected from the plant as linen is, bamboo fabric would feel rough, like burlap. The vast majority of the products labelled as “bamboo” on the market right now are actually viscose rayon made *from* bamboo. The same viscose that uses carbon disulphide in its production, as we discussed in our last MMCF post. The use of bamboo as a source material leads many retailers to make unsubstantiated claims about the performance of the fabric, based on the (alleged) natural properties of bamboo, such as antibacterial action [11]. Bamboo viscose really bears no resemblance to the original fibre aside from being made of cellulose, and so any claims about its natural properties are greenwashing.

Another popular marketing tactic for bamboo-derived products, not just textiles, is about how sustainable it is because it grows so quickly. Like any crop, bamboo can be grown sustainably or unsustainably. Due to its popularity, there are some areas where natural forests are being cleared to make way for bamboo plantations, which is ecologically inappropriate [12]. Canopy Planet describes bamboo as a “middle of the road” MMCF feedstock, with flax and recycled pulp being less impactful. They say that bamboo can be a strong alternative to viscose or paper made from Ancient and Endangered Forests, as long as their seven criteria are met. See the link below [12] to read about those seven criteria.

Recycling is a relatively new area for MMCFs and a lot of R&D is still happening right now. Recycled MMCFs currently make up approx. 0.4% of all MMCFs used in 2020 [13]. Canopy Planet estimates that by recycling just 25% each of all pre/post-consumer cotton and MMCF waste, those sources could replace all use of virgin wood pulp [14].

In 2020, Fashion For Good launched their “Full Circle Textiles Project: Scaling Innovations in Cellulosic Recycling” in partnership with leading MMCF recycling companies to investigate scaling up their technologies [15]. These companies are Evrnu, Infinited Fiber, Phoenxt, Renewcell, and Circ.

The feedstocks used for these MMCFs can include used textiles, old newspapers, cotton linter (a byproduct of cotton processing), and other cellulosic (plant-derived) materials. One study from 2016 showed that the resulting material has comparable mechanical properties to standard lyocell fibres, which is encouraging [16].

One challenge here, as in all textile recycling processes, is how to deal with blends. So many fabrics, including MMCFs, are blended materials which makes separation difficult. We’re looking forward to seeing the results of the cellulosic recycling scale-up project to see how these companies deal with that particular challenge!

References:

  1. https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/01249.html
  2. https://textileexchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Textile-Exchange_Preferred-Fiber-and-Materials-Market-Report_2021.pdf
  3. Kadolph, S.J. (2011). Textiles. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
  4. Chen, J. “Synthetic textile fibers: regenerated cellulose fibers.” Textiles and fashion. Woodhead Publishing, 2015. 79-95.
  5. https://textileexchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Textile-Exchange_Preferred-Fiber-and-Materials-Market-Report_2021.pdf
  6. https://canopyplanet.org/resources/canopystyleaudit/
  7. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/carbon-disulfide/default.html
  8. https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5c4065f2d6b53e08a1b03de7/5ea9710549690bdafe9ef6cd_ZDHC_MMCF%20Guidelines_V1.0_APR2020.pdf
  9. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/plain-language/alt172-how-avoid-bamboozling-your-customers.pdf
  10. https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/03021.html
  11. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/bamboo-fabrics
  12. https://canopyplanet.org/solutions/next-generation-solutions/canopys-bamboo-position/
  13. https://textileexchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Textile-Exchange_Preferred-Fiber-and-Materials-Market-Report_2021.pdf
  14. https://canopyplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/SURVIVAL-Next-Gen-Pathway.pdf
  15. https://fashionforgood.com/our_news/a-new-frontier-in-chemical-recycling/
  16. Haule, L.V., C.M. Carr, and M. Rigout. ‘Preparation and Physical Properties of Regenerated Cellulose Fibres from Cotton Waste Garments’. Journal of Cleaner Production 112 (January 2016): 4445–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.08.086.
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Speaking About Silk

Background

It’s time to talk about silk! Silk is a luxurious fibre mainly produced in China and India, and represents a tiny fraction of the world fibre market. Silk is a protein fibre made by caterpillars via modified salivary glands – so we guess you could call it worm spit! The fibre is triangular, and is made of a protein called fibroin. It also has an outer “coating” called sericin which acts like a glue to hold the cocoon together. 

The vast majority of silk comes from one species of moth, Bombyx mori, which has been bred over thousands of years. Silk is the only naturally occurring filament fibre, where one cocoon can contain fibres up to 1 km long! In order to collect this silk, the insect is euthanized before the adult is able to emerge from the cocoon and break the fibres. The cocoons are then reeled (unwound) and combined with the filaments of other cocoons to create a yarn.

Wild or Tussah silk comes from numerous other species of moth, and is normally harvested after the adult leaves the cocoon. This results in a slubby, more textured fabric.

Pros:

  • Shiny and lustrous thanks to its shape
  • Cool feeling against the skin
  • Stronger than other protein fibres and biocompatible, which makes it popular for medical textiles

Cons:

  • Delicate, difficult to launder properly (can be damaged by detergents)
  • Very expensive
  • Having to kill the insect to reel the cocoon properly. It can take 3000 silkworms to make 1 kg of finished material.

Innovations

Silk is a small percentage of the global fibre market and at present isn’t a significant source of textile waste. BUT. Some really neat developments are happening in the world of silk that we’d love to share with you!

Why is silk important? As mentioned it’s a popular research material for medical textiles such as tissue scaffolds, sutures, and films/patches for drug delivery [3], due to its biodegradability and compatibility with the human body. It also represents a promising future where high performance fibres can be manufactured with biological materials, allowing us to decouple fibre production and petrochemicals.

The use of synthetic biology to produce artificial silk fibres has been a popular research topic since the 90s, but has really taken off in the last decade. The two main silks being produced are that of Bombyx mori, the species we mentioned last week, and spider silk. Spider silk is especially popular due to its amazing mechanical properties, particularly its toughness (strength and stretch). Many companies have been founded to produce these fibres at scale, including Spiber Inc., Bolt Threads, and Kraig Biocraft Laboratories to name a few, and they have been collaborating with brands such as The North Face and Stella McCartney on special projects [4, 5].

The method of manufacture in these cases often involves genetic manipulation, especially where spider silk is involved, as rearing spiders for large-scale production is not feasible (they don’t produce large amounts of silk and tend to eat each other). Techniques may involve inserting spider silk genes into silkworms and collecting the silk conventionally, or using recombinant DNA and bacteria or yeast to produce silk proteins [3, 6].

Are you convinced yet that silk is one of the more interesting fibres out there? If not, let us know!

References:

  1. Kadolph, S.J. (2011). Textiles. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
  2. Fritz, Anne and Cant, Jennifer (1986). Consumer Textiles. Oxford University Press Australia
  3. Holland, C., Numata, K., Rnjak-Kovacina, J., & Seib, F. P. (2019). The biomedical use of silk: past, present, future. Advanced healthcare materials, 8(1), 1800465. https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.201800465
  4. https://spiber.inc/en/tnfsp/mp/
  5. https://boltthreads.com/2017/07/20/stella-mccartney-and-bolt-threads-announce-a-new-partnership-focused-on-sustainable-fashion-and-luxury-materials-development/
  6. Poddar, H., Breitling, R., & Takano, E. (2020). Towards engineering and production of artificial spider silk using tools of synthetic biology. Engineering Biology, 4(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1049/enb.2019.0017
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Can You Compost Cotton Blend Fabrics?

Can you compost cotton blend fabrics? As with many questions around textile sustainability, the answer to this question is: it depends. While there are studies on the biodegradability of textiles (i.e. the ability to degrade or break down), less research has studied the compostability of textile products, which refers to the degradation of organic material specifically. Studies related to the biodegradation of textiles have found that both natural and synthetic fibres will degrade by microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi [1]. However, the breakdown of synthetic fibres can lead to microplastic/microfibre pollution, while natural fibres treated with certain dyes, chemicals, or finishes can slow down their rate of degradation [2]. These chemicals can also leach out of textiles as they degrade which could contaminate soil. Look for items with certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), OCS (Organic Content Standard), and bluesign to avoid these types of harmful substances. 

Unfortunately, most textile items contain blended fibres such as cotton/polyester t-shirts, wool/acrylic sweaters, or cotton/polyester/spandex jeans, and use polyester thread for sewing. So, if you’re planning to add clothing or textile items to your compost, look for organic, natural materials and cut out seams if you want to avoid synthetics entirely. If your clothing or textile item is blended with synthetic fibres (e.g., polyester, spandex, acrylic), then it’s best to avoid composting these items since it may be difficult to remove these synthetic fibres or threads from your compost heap [3]. 

  1. Rana, S., Pichandi, S., Parveen, S., Fangueiro, R. (2014). Biodegradation Studies of Textiles and Clothing Products. In: Muthu, S. (eds) Roadmap to Sustainable Textiles and Clothing. Textile Science and Clothing Technology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-110-7_4
  2. Athey, S. N., Adams, J. K., Erdle, L. M., Jantunen, L. M., Helm, P. A., Finkelstein, S. A., & Diamond, M. L. (2020). The widespread environmental footprint of indigo denim microfibers from blue jeans. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 7(11), 840-847. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00498
  3. https://www.compostthis.co.uk/old-clothes
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Learning About Linen

Today we’re talking about linen, which comes from the flax plant Linum usitatissimum. Flax is one of the oldest documented textile fibres, dating back tens of thousands of years. The term linen comes from the genus of the flax plant Linum, and is what you’ll see most often on Canadian fibre content labels. The vast majority of the world’s linen, about 80%, comes from Europe, France in particular. Linen represents less than 1% of all textile fibres used worldwide, however.

Linen is a bast fibre, which means it comes from the stem of the plant, just under the surface. The fibres are embedded in woody plant tissues, pectins, and waxes, so the stems must go through retting (controlled microbial degradation) to free the fibres. 

Linen is mostly used in bed, table, and bath items (“linens”) in the home, for warm weather apparel, and can also be used in composites for building materials!

Pros:

  • Many people love linen’s appearance (lustre, slubby texture)
  • Strong, and highly absorbent, and dries faster than cotton
  • Cool to the touch, great for warm weather clothing

Cons:

  • It wrinkles like, instantly 😂 (we call this poor resilience)
  • Doesn’t have any stretch, can feel stiff/crisp
  • Can feel quite heavy

In terms of sustainability, linen is fabulous! In fact, @madebyorg gives organic linen an A rating on their environmental benchmark guideline. Organic linen and hemp (also a bast fibre), are the only non-recycled fibres given that rating! Conventional linen and cotton are rated C and E, respectively, for comparison. One reason for this is the relatively low energy intensity of processing the fibre (e.g. retting naturally in the field), and very little need for fertilizers or pesticides.

Because linen isn’t as troublesome as some fibres, and due to its very small market share, there isn’t a lot of information available on current developments happening in this area. The main area of focus appears to be focused on the breeding and cultivation of “climate-smart” flax in response to climate change.

So! If you need some summer clothes, give linen a try! It’s great for warm weather and has a lower environmental impact than most other fibre types, especially when it’s organic. Just call the wrinkles a design feature 😉

Sources: 

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Wool: Shearly Versatile And Sustainable

Today we’re talking about the next fibre in our series, wool. To put it simply, wool is basically sheep hair, and is actually similar to human hair in many ways! Wool is made of a protein called keratin, and the outer surface is covered with protective scales. Australia is the world’s largest producer of wool, followed by China, Russia, New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa, the UK and Uruguay.

Wool was once very popular, but is now one of the least used textile fibres. This is primarily due to cost, as other fibres are much less expensive; wool is often blended or substituted with acrylic, polyester, or nylon to reduce cost. Wool is mostly used in winter apparel and accessories such as toques, mitts and sweaters, and in next-to-skin items like baselayers and socks for its thermal and moisture management properties. Wool is also still used in high-end carpeting due to its resilience. Here are some quick facts about wool:

  • Pros:
    • Very resilient/durable, and warm!
    • Can absorb 1/3 of its weight in moisture vapour without feeling wet
    • Doesn’t hold on to body odour, can be worn multiple times between washes
  • Cons:
    • Vulnerable to clothes moth damage
    • Can be itchy due to the surface scales. Finer varieties like merino are more comfortable
    • Can be difficult to wash – the scales can interlock and cause felting shrinkage
    • Machine washable wool (superwash) is treated with the chlorine hercosett process, which could have a negative impact on the environment
    • Wool comes from livestock, so humane treatment is important. The practice of mulesing is often used in regions where parasitic insects can infect the sheep
    • Like cattle, sheep produce methane which is a potent greenhouse gas. Love Your Clothes rates virgin wool fibres as “Class E” (the lowest) on their environmental benchmarking chart.

Despite the drawbacks, wool is a great fibre for certain needs, and is very popular with fibre crafters and artists. But as we know, textile and clothing production generates tremendous amounts of waste. What is being done to reduce the waste generated by wool production? Here are some techniques, methods, and ways to make wool production more sustainable for both sheep and the planet.

Responsible Wool Standard

  • RWS is a voluntary Textile Exchange standard which recognizes the Five Freedoms of sheep, and farmers with a progressive approach to land management.
  • The Five Freedoms include freedom from: hunger or thirst, discomfort, pain, injury or disease, fear and distress, and the freedom to express normal behaviour.
  • Clothing certified to RWS will be labelled as such on the company’s website, in-store, and/or on garment labels.

Regenerative wool

  • This approach to wool production has been gaining traction, and is used by Sheep Inc.
  • Last year, Allbirds, Icebreaker, and Smartwool announced their plans to collaborate and support the Discover ZQ ZQRX regenerative wool index, a tool for farmers to embrace and improve their techniques.
  • Regenerative farming is a holistic approach, prioritising biodiversity, soil health, and bio-sequestration of carbon. Rotational grazing allows farmers to find a balance between fertilization and waste management, feeding livestock, maintaining plant growth, and reducing soil erosion.

Processing

  • While the chlorine hercosett process is the most widely used superwash treatment, alternatives are available.
  • Plasma treatments, as used by Südwolle Group, use an electrically-generated plasma field to even out the fibre surface, but can cause damage to the fibre if not careful.
  • Other treatments include ozone, enzyme, radiation, and others. Each have their own pros and cons – you can read about them in more detail by seeing our reference list on the blog
  • It’s also possible to use untreated wool! For crafters, Briggs & Little Mill is a Canadian company who doesn’t use superwash or other harsh treatments on their wool. The yarn feels a bit more “rustic” as a result, but makes great sweaters, outerwear, and mitts.

Recycled wool

  • This will come up again and again with all fibres, but one of the lowest impact choices you can make is to use fibre that has already been produced.
  • When it comes to recycling fibres there can be some concerns about which chemicals may be present in the source material, but you can still find items made with recycled fibre and certified to 3rd party standards such as OEKO-TEX.
  • Canadian brand Anián uses recycled natural fibres, including wool, and there are more popping up all the time!
  • Manteco are an Italian fabric mill who have lots of great posts about their recycled MWool® products and manufacturing process. In 2021 alone they saved over 800,000 knitted garments from landfill!

All the information above was sourced from the references below, and we hope you continue your interest in wool, fibres, and textile production by reading the links below!

References:

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How To Extend The Life Of Your Clothes

“The most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe.” – Orsola de Castro, Fashion Revolution Cofounder

So, how can we make sure our garments last as long as possible? We’ve gathered some tips on garment care from Good On You and The Green Edition that will help extend their useful life:

Wash your clothes less, at a lower temperature, and air or line dry when possible. Not only does this reduce energy and water consumption, but it is easier on your clothes as well. The heat and agitation of laundering can cause fibre loss, colour loss, and stretching. American Cleaning Institute recommends garments worn close to the body (socks, underwear) be washed after each use, but items such as jeans, pajamas, and outer garments (e.g., dress shirts and pants) be washed after 3 or 4 wears.

  • Do laundry when you have a full load but be careful not to overload your washer as this can prevent a thorough cleaning and causes excessive rubbing.
  • Wash garments according to their care label instructions and follow the directions of your laundry detergent. Different fibres have different requirements for washing, drying, and stain treatments. What might work for one fibre may just damage another (e.g., bleach is OK for white cottons but damaging to wool and other protein fibres). 
  • Separate clothes based on colours or use cold water to prevent colour loss and dyes from running. 
  • Reduce the amount of detergent you use as it can build up on your clothes over time. This goes for fabric softeners as well which can change the absorbency or moisture properties of the fabric. Reusable wool dryer balls are a great replacement for softeners and can reduce drying time too!
  • Treat stains immediately so that they don’t set. Blot the stain with cold water, rather than rubbing it. 
  • Store your clothes properly. Fold heavy knits rather than hanging them as they can stretch out and store clothes in a cool, dry environment, away from direct sunlight. 

Mend clothing when damaged and alter clothes as needed. Stay tuned for future posts on basic mending techniques and what to look for in a quality garment!

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An Introduction to Cotton

A close-up photo of cotton

Today, we’re talking about the most abundantly produced natural textile fibre on the planet, cotton. If you take a look at the fibre content labels in your clothing and linen closets, we bet you’ll see a whole lot of cotton in there!

Cotton is a plant fibre, and like all plant fibres, is made from cellulose. Cotton comes from the boll or seed capsule of the plant, where the fibres are attached to the cotton seed. Cotton grows in tropical and subtropical climates, including North/South America, Africa (including Egypt), and the world’s largest producer, India. Cotton is very commonly blended with other fibres such as polyester, to produce textiles with desired properties and to reduce cost.

Pros: 

  • Absorbent, is stronger when wet, feels nice against the skin, and can withstand high temperatures. 
  • Used for bedding and towels, hospital fabrics, undergarments, denim, and warm weather clothing.

Cons: 

  • Wrinkles easily, prone to shrinkage, can cling to skin if it gets too wet. Can take longer to dry.
  • Covers 2.4% of arable land, but accounts for 6% of global pesticide use. 
  • Cotton is a “thirsty” crop, and requires a LOT of water. It can take over 2,500 litres of water to produce one t-shirt! Climate change is increasing the need for irrigation in some areas, potentially causing water shortages.
  • Monoculture crops can be vulnerable to pests and disease. Workers can be negatively affected by long-term exposure to pesticides and fertilizers, and these chemicals can have negative environmental impacts as well.

But for such a commonly-used fibre, what is being done to reduce the environmental impact of its production? Here are some methods:

Genetically-modified (GM):

  • One method to reduce the use of insecticides is to use “Bt cotton”, where the plant is modified to produce a type of bacterial toxin that kills caterpillar pests (Lepidopterans). Unfortunately this is not effective against all types of insect pests, and has caused some disagreement in the scientific community as to whether or not it’s more effective than conventional methods. [1,2]

Organic:

  • Requirements can vary by location, but generally organic means no use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides, and no genetic modification. This encourages practices such as crop rotation, biological control (e.g. beneficial insects), and reduced water use [3]. The Global Organic Textile Standard is a 3rd party certification body for organic textile fibres, which can help ensure the fibres come from an organic farm, but also that only safe chemicals are used in the fibre processing and fabric production. 
  • Becoming an organic grower can be inaccessible for some, and can take a number of years to achieve. The folks at Better Cotton work with cotton farmers to grow cotton more sustainably and improve working conditions. You can learn more and see who their members are on their website.

Recycled:

Anything else you’d like to know about cotton that we didn’t cover here? Let us know in the comments! 

Sources: 

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20121012044920/http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July06/Bt.cotton.China.ssl.html
  2. Wang, Z. J., Hai, L., Huang, J. K., Hu, R. F., Rozelle, S., & Pray, C. (2009). Bt cotton in China: are secondary insect infestations offsetting the benefits in farmer fields?. Agricultural Sciences in China, 8(1), 83-90.
  3. Delate, K., Heller, B., & Shade, J. (2021). Organic cotton production may alleviate the environmental impacts of intensive conventional cotton production. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 36(4), 405-412. doi:10.1017/S1742170520000356

Image by Tony Webster on Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/44325730752)

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How To Reduce Holiday Waste With Fabric

holiday waste

As we head into the holidays we wanted to touch on a few ways you can reduce your textile waste this year.

According to a survey conducted by McKinsey & Company, about 20% of all annual apparel purchases are returned with one out of four apparel items returned when bought from e-commerce channels. They also report that an estimated 10% of returns end up in landfill! So, when buying for others consider purchasing secondhand or vintage garments as gifts rather than new, or support local designers or brands. 

Another major source of waste during the holidays is gift wrap. Tape, plastic additives, and foil wrapping make gift wrap difficult or impossible to recycle. Zero Waste Canada estimates that Canadians throw out 540,000 tonnes of wrapping paper and gift bags each year! To cut down on this waste, Greenpeace Canada suggests using upcycled materials such as old maps, magazines, or newspapers to wrap gifts or make bows, using string instead of tape, or trying out Furoshiki wrapping, a Japanese method of wrapping items using a square piece of fabric. 

Furoshiki wrapping is versatile as you can wrap a variety of different shapes that are usually difficult to do with paper gift wrap. You can purchase Furoshiki wrapping cloths or make your own out of unwearable textiles. Just keep in mind that knit fabrics such as t-shirts will have a little bit of stretch and you may need to double up the fabric for heavier items. There are plenty of online resources for how to make your own gift wrap from upcycled textiles and the various ways you can wrap using Furoshiki techniques. 

Here are Mary’s Christmas gifts from a couple of years ago, all wrapped with fabric! She used a mixture of scarves, bandanas, and cloth wraps from Lush.

Fabric is just as colourful and festive as single-use wrapping paper.
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Global Solutions To Recycling Textiles

textile recycling global

From a global perspective, various methods have been employed for dealing with textile waste at different scales. 

The name for the “old school” method of recycling textile waste is by producing a material called shoddy, where fabric mills sell unusable fabric by weight (aka “pound goods”) to manufacturers for the creation of rags, insulation, mattress padding, etc. Post-consumer garments can be used too…You may have heard of insulation made from denim? That’s basically shoddy!

Companies like H&M, Levi’s, and The North Face collect old garments and work with a company who sorts them and decides what can be resold vs. what is essentially shoddy.

Currently circular textile solutions like fibre-to-fibre recycling through mechanical, chemical, or thermal recycling methods are in the research and development phase. Where these technologies have been developed, they are not yet used at scale.

Numerous brands are starting to create “monomaterial” products, which are made completely of one fibre, such as polyester. This would make the item easier to recycle as the components (fabrics, zippers, buttons, etc.) wouldn’t have to be separated prior to processing. One exciting example of this is the Helly Hansen Lifa Infinity Pro material, which is a waterproof, laminated fabric made entirely of polypropylene! 

Several mills around the world have programs to use pre-consumer (production waste) and post-consumer (used items) textiles as inputs for their recycled content. Examples include Teijin Fabrics eco-circle (polyester), Infinited Fiber (cellulose fibres), and Worn Again (polyester, cotton, and poly/cotton blends). While they don’t usually interact directly with the general public, they would partner with brands and other textile manufacturers to process the input materials and turn them back into usable fibres.

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Exploring Innovative Textile Recycling Across Canada

textile recycling in canada

Today we’re expanding on our discussion of avenues for textile waste. Within Canada, there are various initiatives at the provincial, municipal, or company level. We’ve listed some examples of these initiatives below.

In April 2017, the City of Markham banned textiles from the garbage. Instead, residents drop off their unwanted textiles in bins located throughout the city where they are picked up and sorted for reuse or downcycling into products such as stuffing or insulation. As someone commented on our previous post about avenues for textile waste within Edmonton, second-hand or thrift stores like Goodwill also make their unwearable donations into items such as rags.

Similar initiatives have been introduced elsewhere such as Nova Scotia where a collective of six organizations have come together to form the Association for Textile Recycling (AFTeR). In 2015 alone, 11 million pounds (~4990 tonnes) of textiles were collected in Nova Scotia, with only 5% ending up as waste. BC’s Return-it Textiles program has diverted more than 485 tonnes of textiles since 2019 through its 46 drop-off locations. 

Check out the report Fashion Takes Action published entitled ‘A Feasibility Study of Textile Recycling in Canada’ which you can download for free on their website. They are currently conducting a mechanical textile recycling pilot with 100% polyester post-consumer garments. 

General Recycled is a Canadian company which has recently expanded and scaled up its operations in Quebec. They take used FR coveralls made from aramid fibres to be shredded and reincorporated into new coveralls. We hope they’ll be able to expand into other fibre types in future!

Canadian company Native Shoes collect their shoes back from customers when they’re no longer usable, and the shoes are ground up and used in the construction of playgrounds.

All these amazing ways to reduce fashion and textile waste, and just in Canada — stay tuned for our evaluation of textile waste reduction internationally.