Pre-Consumer and Post-Consumer Cotton Recycling
New Focus Textiles involves both pre-consumer cotton fabric recycling and post-consumer garment recycling processes. The textile and clothing industry benefits from both closed-loop systems. The two illustrations below show processes for manufacturing recycled woven cotton fabrics products. Recycled cotton fabric remains one of the most sustainable fibers in the world.
Pre-Consumer Fabric Recycling
In the pre-consumer circular loop up-cycling fabric process, we collect cuttings scraps from the garment factory and mechanically recycle the waste into new cotton fibers. Next, we spin and blend the recycled fibers to produce new cotton yarns. The yarn size capabilities are very advanced with soft yarns as fine as 40/1 (40 singles). Our fabric manufacturing process is identical for both recycled yarns and virgin cotton yarns. As can be seen in the illustration below, the pre-consumer circular recycling process generates recycled cotton fabric. Pre-consumer fabric recycling is more common than post-consumer recycling and does not involved the consumer or garments after the point of sale.
Post-Consumer Garment Recycling
The post-consumer garment recycling process is ideal for businesses with a reliable supply of garments or fabrics from a predictable source. Source and quality predictability reduces the sorting requirement and ensures finished goods quality and reliability. For example, we (New Focus Textiles) implemented an education-based uniform recycling program with local students in China. With a known product inflow (uniform polo shirts), we had greater visibility and control over the sorting and mechanical recycling process. Waste is minimized with an expected fiber content. As shown below, the post-consumer recycled garment process is a closed-loop flow for garment recycling. Post-consumer recycling systems give consumers a chance to recycle unwanted apparel and participate in the recycling process.
Resource Savings for Apparel Brands
Clothing retailers, manufacturers, and home textiles companies can apply circular loop fabric recycling processes. Textile rich industries are excellent sources of steady and predictable textiles flows. While recycled cotton and polyester fibers are available in the market, we prefer to recycled and supply cotton and recycled cotton. Cotton is our preferred fiber for the most sustainable woven textiles because cotton offers many advantages to consumers and the environment such as comfort and biodegradability because it is a naturally cellulosic fiber.
Importantly, recycled cotton fabric lessens the ecological burden of cotton crop production and reduces material wastes in landfills by utilizing available existing resources (wastes). Waste and resources are greatly reduced by using recycled cotton. For example, in 2021 and 2022, New Focus Textiles achieved tremendous savings by using recycled cotton fiber over virgin cotton fibers. We anticipate even greater ESG savings for the 2023 production year. New Focus Textiles is a GRS-certified full-service textiles supplier with a strong history of fabric development and innovative material design. For additional information, please reach out to our team at info@newfocustex.com.
New Focus Textiles manufactures fabrics and apparel made from recycled cotton fabric. Retailers can achieve greater savings and production efficiencies with closed-loop systems. Let’s work together to reduce fabric waste and conserve land and water resources!
