Textile Recycling Technologies, Colouring and Finishing Methods | Le
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4.0 TEXTILE COLOURATION AND CHEMICAL FINISHING
Enormous amounts of chemicals and water are used during textile production to facilitate physical
and chemical processes to achieve desired properties. Dyes and chemicals applied during finishing
stages of the production process may be used to impart aesthetic (colour) or functional qualities
(flame resistance, water repellency, wrinkle resistance, etc.). Significant efforts have been made
in the management and treatment of chemicals and effluents from the various processing routes.
Many technologies have been developed and applied from fibre to finished product stages to
reduce energy, effluent loads, processing costs, and improve wastewater treatment.
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At present, there is a lack of information and traceability of chemicals and their content remaining
in textile products from usage to end of life, specifically in post-consumer textiles. Additionally,
with labelling, legal requirements and regulations differing from country to country, this results in
the lack of knowledge regarding potentially hazardous chemicals used in sourced textiles. In recent
times, the European REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction
of Chemicals) has been criticized for further aggravating the issue of hazardous textile chemicals
on the environment and human health.
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The regulation has been blamed for causing increased
relocation of the European textile dye sector to Asia, where supply chains are less regulated, and
rife with environmental pollution, thereby creating a loss of jobs, stifling innovation, and resulting
in chemical monopolies.
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It has been noted that chemical coatings and dyes may comprise up to 5-15%
by weight to a
finished garment.
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Additionally, in the realm of automotive textiles, it is estimated that one car
may contain an average 23 kilograms of dyed and finished textiles.
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This poses potential risks to
human health, commonly through skin contact, and implications on material recovery, owing to
limited understanding of the interaction of chemicals present in feedstock with process chemicals
applied in recycling treatments.
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In addition, potential pre-treatment or cleaning steps that may
require more costly and toxic chemicals to achieve their removal.
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