Sustainability & Recycled Cotton
Sustainability continues to be at the forefront of product decisions, brand initiatives, and strategic planning in the textile industry. The use of recycled materials, including recycled cotton, is a growing topic of interest within the sustainability umbrella.
Recycled cotton is not a new concept to the textile and apparel market, but as manufacturers, brands, and retailers continue to evaluate their supply chain footprint, the interest in recycled cotton has grown.
What is Recycled Cotton?
Benefits & Challenges
Consumer Interest
Recycling Efforts
Recycled Cotton Suppliers
What is Recycled Cotton?
Recycled cotton can be generally defined as converting cotton fabric into cotton fiber that can be reused in textile products. Recycled cotton is also commonly referred to as regenerated cotton, reclaimed cotton, or shoddy. Recycled content includes recycled raw material, as well as used, reconditioned, and re-manufactured components.
Textile recycling is generated from two primary sources:
Pre-consumer: includes scraps created by yarn and fabric by-products
Post-consumer: includes garments, upholstery, towels, household items to be repurposed
The largest volume of recycled cotton sources is produced through pre-consumer waste, such as cutting scraps. Post-consumer waste is more difficult to sort through due to various color shades, fabric blends, and it is generally a more labor-intensive process.
Recycling Textiles: Exploring the Possibilities of Recycled Cotton
With increasing consumer focus on sustainability and circularity, recycled textiles are seen by many as a key driver toward more sustainable apparel. Due to its natural fiber properties, cotton has a unique opportunity in the sector of recycled apparel.
Karla Magruder, founder of Accelerating Circularity, discusses how this organization works to identify obstacles in the broader adoption of recycled apparel and devise solutions that will create a process to scale up the recycling of textile materials.
Martin Schreiner, director of fiber processing at Cotton Incorporated, explores the opportunities and challenges of integrating recycled cotton into nonwovens and textiles.