Parameters Affecting the Upcycling of Waste Cotton and PES/CO Textiles

Abstract

Textile wastes in landfills are a major concern and offer wide scope in terms of waste management. The process of upcycling which aims at converting the waste into products of higher value is a feasible option. The research aims to explore factors to improve the process of upcycling. A set of mixed polyester/cotton (PES/CO) and cotton waste textiles from hospitals were examined for their properties. There are some physical parameters such as the mechanical properties and degree of polymerization that govern the process of upcycling. It was concluded that the textiles are degraded unevenly, so that it is difficult to predict their pattern of degradation. However, there are other possibilities and processes of using the waste textiles to reduce the waste in landfills.