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
Herron, M., Kohler, M., Nieri, T., Spinelli, D.,and Canesi, I.(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’.