Socially-Inclusive Disassembly Solutions for E-textiles

As the Circular Economy gains focus, environmental sustainability often receives more emphasis than social resilience and equity. This research addresses the environmental impact of e-textile waste while integrating social inclusion into proposed solutions. E-textile waste is a novel waste category lying between the textile and electronics industries. It is often incinerated or landfilled due to complex mixed-material compositions and a lack of regulatory and legislative frameworks, despite its minimal role in current sorting and recycling streams. Additionally, individuals with disabilities and refugees face employment barriers, highlighting why this research employs inclusive solutions in e-textile waste management. Collaborating with Dutch organizations like Regionaal Textielsorteercentrum Twente and Deze Combinatie Werkt, this study developed training materials and social strategies to create a feasible reverse e-textile supply chain within the Netherlands. Identification strategies tested at the Regionaal Textielsorteercentrum Twente underscored the importance of accessible training, while experimental disassembly focusing on delamination and unravelling techniques, supported by mechanical tests such as linear resistance and tensile strength testing, demonstrated promising methods to enhance reuse and recycling. Due to the preliminary nature of this study, along with limited sample size and testing cycles, further research is necessary for implementation. The study established the importance of coordinating designers, users, sorters, disassemblers, and recyclers to ensure optimum valorization of e-textile waste. Identification posters alongside automation-supported manual labor can help distinguish e-textiles from general textile waste. Within disassembly, the unravelled conductive yarn retains its conductivity for potential reuse, while delaminated laminates can be repurposed or recycled within new proposed e-waste streams.