How is IIT Delhi Revolutionizing Denim Recycling?

New Delhi, Aug 8 (NationPress) A group of researchers from IIT Delhi has introduced an innovative technique to transform denim waste into high-quality knitted garments without sacrificing durability. This breakthrough is set to significantly mitigate textile waste—the unwanted textiles and clothing discarded post-consumption—which typically find their way into landfills.

India generates approximately 3.9 million tonnes of domestic post-consumer textile waste each year, yet only a mere 4 percent is recycled.

Often, the recycled materials suffer from decreased fiber strength and inconsistencies in color and quality.

However, with this groundbreaking method, researchers at IIT have demonstrated that up to 50 percent of the recycled yarns can be integrated into knitted apparel without compromising the product's tactile quality.

“To enhance the smoothness of the recycled yarns, a softening treatment was applied to the fabric, ensuring that the tactile experience of the final product is comparable to that of new materials,” explained Prof. Abhijit Majumdar, from the Department of Textiles and Fibre Engineering at IIT Delhi.

“Our research focused on denim waste, but this approach can be adapted for any form of textile waste,” he added.

The findings, published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, detail how the team successfully recycled denim into yarns while minimizing damage to the fiber properties through optimized process conditions.

The recycled yarns were then integrated into knitted fabric utilizing seamless whole garment technology, producing garments with recycled yarn content ranging from 25 percent to 75 percent.

An essential component of this research was assessing the environmental advantages through a life cycle assessment (LCA) in the Indian context.

The IIT Delhi team’s analysis revealed that approximately 30-40 percent of environmental impacts can be lessened regarding greenhouse gas emissions, acid rain, and fossil fuel depletion, while impacts on ozone layer depletion are reduced by around 60 percent.

By utilizing recycled fibers, the demand for virgin cotton can decrease, resulting in savings on pesticides, fertilizers, and water required for cultivation.

The cotton cultivation stage alone contributes 24 percent to global warming, rendering virgin yarns less eco-friendly.

“The research team is currently investigating the potential for multiple recycling of textile waste materials,” added Prof. B.S. Butola, from the Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering at IIT Delhi.