Researchers claim waterless recycling for polycotton waste

SINGAPORE - Researchers claim to have developed a waterless chemical recycling method for highly pigmented 50/50 polycotton textiles which are traditionally regarded as difficult to separate and recycle.

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, came up with the novel process which uses a polar aprotic solvent, in conjunction with ethylene glycol or glycerol, to partially depolymerise the polyester while leaving the cotton intact and dye free.