Recycled cotton is not a new concept to the textile market, but as manufacturers, brands, and retailers continue to evaluate their supply chain footprint, the interest in recycled cotton has grown.
Recycled cotton can be generally defined as converting cotton fabric into cotton fiber that can be reused in textile products. Recycled cotton is also commonly referred to as regenerated cotton or reclaimed cotton. Recycled content includes recycled raw material, as well as used, reconditioned and re-manufactured components.
The process:
The majority of recycled cotton is claimed through mechanical recycling. First, fabrics and materials are sorted by colour. After sorting, the fabrics are run through a machine that shreds the fabric into yarn and further into raw fibre. The raw fibre is then spun back into yarns for reuse in other products.