Textile Waste Recycling: Emerging Technologies, Environmental Challenges, and Sustainable Solutions

The textile and apparel industry has been identified as one of the most resource-intensive sectors globally, with substantial environmental burdens arising from fiber production, dyeing, finishing, and disposal. Textile recycling represents a critical pathway toward sustainable resource management and circular economy implementation. The rapid expansion of global textile production and consumption has intensified the accumulation of textile waste, creating urgent environmental, economic, and social concerns. This review synthesizes current knowledge on textile waste streams, with emphasis on the classification of natural, synthetic, and blended materials and the unique challenges they present for recycling. Emerging technologies including advanced mechanical recycling, chemical depolymerization, enzymatic treatments, and fiber-to-fiber regeneration are critically assessed for their efficiency, scalability, material recovery rates, and environmental footprints. The review further examines key environmental challenges such as microplastic pollution, hazardous chemical release, landfill overuse, and high energy demands associated with traditional waste management pathways. In response to these issues, sustainable solutions such as circular economy frameworks, eco-design principles, closed-loop manufacturing, and policy interventions are discussed. The paper highlights successful global initiatives and industry innovations that demonstrate the feasibility of achieving a circular textile system. Finally, research gaps and future directions are identified to support the transition toward resource-efficient, low-impact textile waste management. This review provides a comprehensive foundation for stakeholders seeking to enhance sustainability across the textile value chain.