Serviceability and washing durability of recycled polyester, wool, and acrylic: Sustainability concerns and microfiber leaching

In recent decades, the textile and fashion industry has looked forward to a more environmentally conscious and sustainable future by recycling textile materials. Mechanical recycling is one of the simple circular approaches with the most available infrastructures around the globe that reduces environmental burdens and recycles materials via mechanical breakdowns and shredding. However, the approach can compromise the mechanical attributes of fibers resulting in low mechanical integrity fibers that lack serviceability and durability causing release of harmful micro/macro fibers into environment during laundering. Leaching fibers add up in water cycle and put life of both aquatic and non-aquatic organisms at risk by entering food chain; moreover, the growth of crops and quality of products is also affected. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze the durability of mechanically recycled textiles. In this research post-consumer waste of polyester, wool, and acrylic has been recycled and virgin polyester blended yarns are engineered employing both ring and rotor spinning techniques. Physical characterization of fibers revealed that recycled wool entailed shortest 2.5 % span length of 20.65 mm, higher short fiber content and lower uniformity. However, the trend improved towards recycled acrylic and polyester fibers. Spinning technique also influenced the durability with ring spun yarns having relatively higher bursting strength, and about 25 % less pilling performance of rotor spun yarns. Laundering revealed that recycled polyester has 50 % higher fiber loss than virgin polyester; however, fiber loss from recycled wool remained 83 % higher than recycled polyester. Such facts indicate an alarming situation for textile industries about recycled microfibers release into water cycle. • Consequences of mechanical recycling of hazardous textile materials. • Mechanical durability of mechanically recycled materials. • Influence of fiber leaching on aquatic life and water cycle. • Sustainability concerns in food chain by microfibers leaching.