Researchers at the University of Tartu have found a way to recycle cellulose from cotton textile waste, breathing new life into old jeans as insulation or packaging.
An estimated 92 million tons of textile waste are generated globally every year, only a small proportion of which gets recycled. Now, researchers at the University of Tartu have found a way to turn old cotton fabric into a new foam material.
University of Tartu Professor of Applied Materials Science Tarmo Tamm, heading the research group, is primarily interested in cellulose, e.g., cotton textile waste. This has plenty of applications, he said. "Cellulose is actually an extremely valuable polymer. It is one of the strongest polymers: It is natural, biodegradable, and applications can be found for it in areas where we currently use oil- and natural gas-based materials."
The research group primarily utilized cotton textile waste as the raw material for producing the new materials, experimenting with giving new life to both cotton T-shirts and denim jeans.
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