IIT Delhi develops process to turn denim waste into high-quality knitted garments
The team optimised process conditions to ensure minimum damage to fibre properties while converting waste denim into yarns. These yarns were then used to produce knitted fabric through seamless whole garment technology, with recycled yarn content ranging from 25 percent to 75 percent.MAINTAINING SOFTNESS AND FEELThe research, led by Professors Abhijit Majumdar and BS Butola from the Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, revealed that up to 50 percent of recycled yarns can be incorporated into knitted garments without affecting their tactile feel.'To reduce the roughness of recycled yarns, a softening treatment was applied to the fabric which ensured that the tactile feel of the final product is same with that of virgin products,' said Professor Majumdar.He added that although this study used denim waste, the method could be applied to other textile waste materials.
Environmental benefits quantified through Life Cycled Assessment (LCA)
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS MEASUREDThe outcome of this research was published in the Journal of Cleaner Production and included a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) specific to the Indian context. PhD scholar Satya Karmakar collected data from Panipat's textile recycling cluster to measure environmental impacts.The analysis showed that recycling denim waste could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, acid rain, and fossil fuel depletion by 30-40 percent, and cut ozone layer depletion by around 60 percent.As recycled fibres replace virgin cotton, significant savings are made in pesticides, fertilisers, and water use, especially since cotton cultivation alone contributes 24 percent to global warming.LOOKING TO RECYCLING MULTIPLE TIMESProfessor Butola noted that the team is now exploring whether textile waste can be recycled multiple times without compromising its quality.This research represents a step towards sustainable textile production, reducing reliance on virgin materials while keeping waste out of landfills.- Ends
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