The "Knitcycle" research project at The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) shows: High-quality textile recycling is technically possible. In cooperation with the flat knitting specialist Bache Innovative, knitting yarns have been developed that consist of up to 100 per cent recycled material and can be reprocessed into high-quality textiles.
Around 87 per cent of textile waste worldwide currently ends up in landfill or is incinerated. At the same time, recycled material is often only used for inferior applications. This is precisely where the project comes in: The aim was to specifically improve the recyclability of knitted products as early as the design and development phase - in the sense of "design for recycling".
Among other things, the research focussed on material selection, product design and weave constructions. In addition, key parameters of the mechanical recycling process were investigated, in particular with the help of a tearing machine sponsored by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU).
The project was supported by the associated partners Textechno H. Stein GmbH & Co KG, who provided support in the analysis and evaluation of fibre quality, and Turns Faserkreisläufe, who contributed their expertise in the field of high-quality recycling. The results clearly show that decisions made during product development have a considerable influence on the subsequent recyclability of textiles.
A key result of the project is the development of new knitting yarns that are made entirely from recycled fibres and still meet the requirements for high-quality textiles. This is the first time that the material cycle in the knitting sector has been largely closed.
"The industry is facing a fundamental change: high-quality recycling is possible, but is currently still much more cost-intensive than the production of new goods. This is exactly where innovations and a rethink along the entire value chain are needed," says professor Ellen Bendt, who led the project at the HSNR.
There are new prospects for regional producers in particular: production residues and textile waste could be recycled more efficiently in future and returned to the material cycle. At the same time, the challenge of making recycling processes more economical and establishing them on a wider scale remains.
The knowledge gained in the project is now to be further advanced in a follow-up project. In view of limited resources, the multiple use of materials will play a central role for the textile industry in the future.
About the Knitcycle project: The "Knitcycle" research project was carried out at The Hochschule Niederrhein's own Research Institute for Textile and Clothing (FTB). It employed innovative approaches to improve the recyclability of knitted products in the sense of a sustainable circular economy. The German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) sponsored the project over two years with a total of around 290,000 euros.
