Textile Insight

WASTE NOT / QUESTION 3 "If textile recycling is the best approach to the waste problem, every part of the supply chain, from the fibers manufacturers to the end consumers, and back from end con- sumers to the sorting points, should play their part in this circle and be responsible. At Eastman, we are committed to improve our technologies, our network with brands and mills, our worldwide presence, and we need legislation and certifications to push this change as far as possible." – Claudia de Witte, sustainability leader for Eastman's textiles division "ere's a tremendous opportunity to incorporate recycled cotton in applica- tions such as diapers, wipes, cosmetic and wound care products, insulation mate- rials, product packaging, and more. Our research team is also looking at ways to turn discarded cotton textiles into glucose as an alternative to repurposing, recycling or disposing worn garments. Glucose is used to produce ethanol and can be used to in the cosmetics industry to manufac- ture hygiene and esthetic products. – Mary Ankeny, VP of product develop- ment and implementation operations, Cotton Incorporated "We need to be careful about the line of thinking that natural yarns will solve the problem because they naturally biode- grade — not all natural yarns have a good sustainable footprint. Similarly, biodeg- radation of synthetics always needs to be considered with the quantifier of time, temperature, humidity and oxygen. e biodegradation process that happens in real life cannot be mimicked with lab tests and that is why there is time limit imposed for each test." – Ramesh Kesh, SVP Milliken & Company; business manager of Polartec "e biggest opportunity Unifi sees for the industry is capturing the value of a garment at the end of life. Systems have to be set up to collect, sort, and prepare garments for recycling, with the emphasis being on the initial design of the garment. Our Textile Takeback aims to transform the industry by providing a sustainable way to recycle landfill-bound textiles and create new products. Unifi believes circularity holds the key to fashion's take- make-waste model by giving garments second, third, and even fourth life cycles." – Meredith Boyd, EVP and chief product officer, Unifi, Inc. WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF RECYCLING IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY? 32 • Textile Insight ~ Spring 2024 textileinsight.com With the new Beyond Begins Today initiative, every new product launching in 2024 will either reduce Polartec's impact on the planet, endure the test of time or contribute to the circularity process.

• Cover