Textile Waste Recycling through Enzymatic Fiber Separation (WasteExpo 2023)

Most discarded textiles end up in landfills but don’t readily degrade, accounting for 8% of annual municipal solid waste in the U.S. The value of these waste textiles has steadily increased as portions of the textile industry push to make more clothes from recycled materials. These waste fabrics are estimated to be worth $10.5 billion annually. However, recycling options are limited due to the highly variable waste stream, consisting of many different fiber types and chemical additives like dyes