Fiber-to-fiber recycling recovers high-quality textiles

Yiqi Yang, a researcher at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, has developed a groundbreaking fiber-to-fiber recycling technology that successfully removes dyes, separates blended fibers, and recovers high-quality materials, marking a major advancement in chemical textile recycling.

Textile recycling has long been hindered by complex dye bonds and fiber blends, but Yang’s aqueous system, co-developed with doctoral student Yuanyi Shao, overcomes these barriers by eliminating dyes without damaging fiber polymers, while also reclaiming solvents and dyes for reuse.

The patent-pending process has been proven effective on a range of textiles, including cotton-poly blends, acrylics, wool, and even carpet, demonstrating superior results in producing artificial cellulosic fibers from old denim compared to those derived from wood pulp.

Yang emphasizes the system’s scalability and economic feasibility, designed with industrial application in mind, though he notes that successful implementation will require strong industry partnerships and capital investment.

“With this technology, we can cost-effectively recycle fibers from virtually any textile, helping the industry move toward a circular model,” Yang stated, reaffirming that without such dual strategies, the future of sustainable textiles remains uncertain.