In the present time, people are buying clothes more than ever but wear them only fewer times before discarding. The result of this is growing clothing waste. This is mainly driven by the rise in fast fashion due to which the clothes are manufactured using such raw materials which cannot be recycled.
There is a huge consumption of non-renewable natural resources in the production of synthetic polymers which are used in textile production. According to a report published by a UK charity set up that promotes circular economy Ellen MacArthur Foundation, around 98 million tonnes of oil is used globally each year for the production of synthetic polymers. And on average, 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced worldwide per year among which most of them end up in landfills.
Thinking about the textile waste generated, Seattle based US startup Evrnu, has developed a fiber technology that transforms old clothing into new, high-quality raw materials. This technology produces renewable fibers from 100% post-consumer and pre-consumer cotton apparel waste using all currently available regenerated cellulosic fibers such as Lyocell, Rayon, Cupro, and Acetate. This novel fiber is named NuCycl. These new fibers are recyclable, with no loss of performance and quality.
Evrnu is a textile startup based in Washington State which was founded in 2014 by Stacy Flynn and Christopher Stanev. The goal of the company is to address the environmental impacts of the garment industry by creating technologies that help close the loop on the footprint of apparel manufacturing.
The process involves 5 steps:
- Gather: Discarded textiles are collected to be sorted and separated
- Purify: The garments are disassembled and broken down to their basic molecular level
- Fiber: The raw materials are created into new fiber lints
- Yarn: The new engineered fiber is then spun into a yarn
- Fabric: The new fabrics are then ready to be sent to mills to be used as a wearable textile for brands
Few global brands like Adidas, Target, and Levi Strauss have already produced limited edition garments containing NuCycl mixed with virgin fibers. Sustainable designer Stella McCartney in collaboration with Adidas and Bolt Threads has already launched a tennis dress made of engineered silk and a hoodie said to be infinitely recyclable.
Nucycle system instead of being discarded so that the cycle will endlessly continue. What you think of NuCycl fiber? Mention your thoughts in the comment section below…!
REFERENCES
Tales of the Apparel World 