Abstract
Electronic textiles (e-textiles) are a problematic technology when designing for sustainability as they combine two of the most polluting industries - textile and electronics. While ‘design for disassembly’ is frequently proposed as a sustainability strategy for the end-of-life of e-textile devices, what happens after components are separated and whether they can still function in new contexts has not been sufficiently addressed. Metallicized fabrics are commonly used in the e-textiles space when crafting/designing to provide conductivity for an array of applications, thus this study is focused on the post-disassembly potential and limitations of these materials. We apply recycling techniques from conventional textile recycling to produce needle-punched nonwoven fabrics. Through the characterization of the produced materials and the exploration of piezoresistive properties we advocate for a more nuanced understanding of post-disassembly reuse and for expanding sustainable design for e-textiles beyond ‘design for disassembly’.
Keywords
E-textiles; Nonwoven; Sustainability; Pressure sensors
DOI
10.21606/TI-2026.115
Citation
Kohler, M., Herron, M., Nieri, T., Spinelli, D., Canesi, I., Kutz, Z., Greinke, B.,and Stewart, R.(2026) Mechanically Recycling Metallicized Fabrics, 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-2026.115
Conference Track
researchpapers
Included in
Mechanically Recycling Metallicized Fabrics
Electronic textiles (e-textiles) are a problematic technology when designing for sustainability as they combine two of the most polluting industries - textile and electronics. While ‘design for disassembly’ is frequently proposed as a sustainability strategy for the end-of-life of e-textile devices, what happens after components are separated and whether they can still function in new contexts has not been sufficiently addressed. Metallicized fabrics are commonly used in the e-textiles space when crafting/designing to provide conductivity for an array of applications, thus this study is focused on the post-disassembly potential and limitations of these materials. We apply recycling techniques from conventional textile recycling to produce needle-punched nonwoven fabrics. Through the characterization of the produced materials and the exploration of piezoresistive properties we advocate for a more nuanced understanding of post-disassembly reuse and for expanding sustainable design for e-textiles beyond ‘design for disassembly’.