"From Trash to Treasure: How Scientists are Turning Polycotton Waste into Something Useful!"

From Trash to Treasure: How Scientists Recycle Polycotton Waste [SWOP NEWS]

A Sweeter Solution to Textile Waste:

Researchers from the University of Amsterdam’s Industrial Sustainable Chemistry group have teamed up with the company Avantium to take a fresh approach to recycling polycotton textile waste. Sparking a source of excitement amongst the environmental communities, these clever scientists have come up with an innovative process that uses superconcentrated hydrochloric acid at room temperature to remove all cotton from the fabric. The result? The cotton is transformed into glucose, which can then become a renewable feedstock for bio-based products like...you guessed it, renewable plastics! Meanwhile, the remaining polyester fibers get a second life too, as they can be recycled using existing methods.

Turning Cotton Candy into Plastic:

The breakout star of this experiment is the glucose derived from the cotton in textile waste. Currently, glucose is typically produced from corn and wheat starch - but this new process could literally turn our old clothes into a new source of this important bio-based feedstock! The research team, led by the evolutionarily-minded Prof. Gert-Jan Gruter, sees this as a major move toward shifting from a fossil-based economy to a bio-based one. And the cherry on top? The glucose from this method can also be used in a broad range of industrial applications - from polymers to resins to solvents.

Boasting more Benefits:

Besides reducing waste, this new process is also set to solve various other industry issues. For instance, it can turn polyester from polycotton into new virgin polyester - enabling complete recycling of this blended textile. This inventive process also lays the groundwork for the first industrial-scale recycling of polycotton textiles and peels back the curtains on commercial non-food glucose availability. Wearing your old tee as a recycled plastic bottle has never looked more chic!




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