Abstract
Post-consumer textile waste (PCTW) is increasingly characterized by complex multi-fibre blends, posing significant challenges for fibre-to-fibre recycling. This study investigates the influence of sorting, cutting, and tearing processes on nep formation and the resulting yarn quality during mechanical recycling. A three-stage sorting approach based on fibre composition and stitch density was developed and combined with systematically varied cutting and tearing processes. The results show that both input material characteristics and recycling parameters affect nep formation. In particular, thermally melted cut edges from garments containing polyacrylonitrile were identified as a potential source of neps. The findings highlight the importance of differentiated sorting and process optimization for improving recycled fibre quality and supporting high-quality fibre-to-fibre recycling of PCTW.
Keywords
Post-Consumer Textile Waste; Mechanical Recycling; Sorting; Nep Formation
DOI
10.21606/TI-2026.154
Citation
Kohler, M.,and Cebulla, H.(2026) The Impact of Differentiated Post-Consumer Textile Waste Sorting on the Homogeneity of Recycled Yarns, in Jane Scott, Sophie Skach, and Rebecca Stewart (eds.), Textile Intersections 2026, 17-18 September 2026, London, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/TI-2026.154
Conference Track
researchpapers
Included in
The Impact of Differentiated Post-Consumer Textile Waste Sorting on the Homogeneity of Recycled Yarns
Post-consumer textile waste (PCTW) is increasingly characterized by complex multi-fibre blends, posing significant challenges for fibre-to-fibre recycling. This study investigates the influence of sorting, cutting, and tearing processes on nep formation and the resulting yarn quality during mechanical recycling. A three-stage sorting approach based on fibre composition and stitch density was developed and combined with systematically varied cutting and tearing processes. The results show that both input material characteristics and recycling parameters affect nep formation. In particular, thermally melted cut edges from garments containing polyacrylonitrile were identified as a potential source of neps. The findings highlight the importance of differentiated sorting and process optimization for improving recycled fibre quality and supporting high-quality fibre-to-fibre recycling of PCTW.