Recycling of Spandex: Broadening the Way for a Complete Cycle of Textile Waste

With the continuous growth of the global textile and apparel industry, coupled with the increasing demand for comfort in clothing, the use of spandex in blended fabrics has become increasingly widespread. Spandex, a high-elasticity synthetic fiber, is extensively applied in apparel and medical products. However, due to its typically low content in textiles and complex blending with other fibers, the recycling process becomes significantly more challenging. This review focuses on the recycling and utilization of waste spandex and its blended fabrics, analyzing the importance of spandex recovery from blended fabrics. It provides an overview of existing recycling technologies for spandex and its blended textiles, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of physical, chemical, and combined methods. This review emphasizes that the physical dissolution method, due to its simplicity, efficiency, and low cost, is currently the preferred strategy for recycling spandex-blended fabrics. Finally, this review outlines the pathways for reusing spandex after dissolution, offering new insights for enhancing the added value of regenerated materials and promoting the green recycling and utilization of spandex-blended fabrics.