| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 96 13:53 WET From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: Wool recycling post-consumer (Paul Dunster)
December 4, 1996
Dear Paul Dunster,
Textiles generally are eminently recyclable. The problem here is factoring what amount of the textiles - on which we at the US EPA-New England s Research Library for RCRA - have information on woolen textiles. I may be giving you information below that applies to generalized categories and will indicate when that s the case.
Generally, rag graders, the market for the bulk of old textiles, sort textiles into different grades, sometimes as many as 150 different grades. In 1995 they were paying $50-200/ton for the materials. Ripped or stained items may be sold for rug making, auto insulation, industrial wipers, blankets. Wool tends to fit into the higher prized and higher marketed grades and is reused chiefly in the manufacture of new wool clothing, blankets, sleeping bag liners, and occasionally other products.
Some of the wool is also exported. Almost 35% of used clothing (all materials) is exported, while 7% goes into fiber for reprocessing. The Council for Textile Recycling, Bethesda, MD (301-656-1077) estimates that there are 350 recyclers of all textiles who work with 2.5 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste annually. They are able to recycle or reuse 93% of the materials handled. The Reclamation Association of Great Britain says that wool is recycled to fiber reclaimers and manufacturers who make woolen cloth, flock fillings and felts with it. Preconsumer waste goes to making new woollen cloths and blankets and felts . One English manufacturer of recycled woollens is Evergreen Recycled Fashions, Yorkshire, who turn worn sweaters and rags into new yars and fabrics by a series of processes which begin with pulling the garments apart in a machine with counter-rotating spiked rollers. This restores the garments to their constituent fibre, known as shoddy. Buttons are mechanically removed
. . while zips must be removed by hand in advance. To avoid the need for re-dyeing, a process which has high water demand, uses large volumes of chemicals, and generates large quantities of effluents needing treatment, material is hand sorted into 40 standard colours and shades. A series of mechanical processes then turns the fibres into a spun yard for sale either as hand-knitting yarn or for the manufacture of cloth for making wool garments. . Evergreen charts the amount of water, chemicals, and electricity saved by their processing. A case study can be obtained from: Dept. of the Environment, Energy Efficiency Enquiries Bureau, Harwell, Oxfordshire OX11 ORA UK.
The following sources will give you additional information on general textiles, but without much wool commodity breakouts:
- The Market is Willing: Post-Consumer Textiles in Resource Recycling February, 1992.
- Scott Cynamon Textiles, Inc. Hartsdale, NY (Tel: 914-472-4922) (a dealer in both pre-consumer and post-consumer textiles domestically).
- Textile Recycling in Waste Age, January, 1995.
- One of the two best sources: American Textile Manufacturers Assn. Environmental Program, Washington DC (Tel: 202-862-0500)
- The other best source is the previously mentioned Council for Textile Recycling, Bethesda, MD (Tel: 301-656-1077).
For a directory, the American Recycling Market database and reference book has a section on Textiles Recycling Companies. The publishing firm (same name) can be reached at 800-267-0707.
I hope that this helps.