Re-using pre-consumer textile waste and printing on by using smart pigments

Abstract EN

The increase in demand for clothes and garments has created a substantial amount of textile waste, which affects the environment, economy and society in numerous ways.

Objective: The aim of this study has been to develop a new method for re-using the pre-consumer textile waste that is thrown away in the landfill through; defining the problem of pre-consumer textile waste in textile and clothing factories, carrying out a literature review on the re-use and recycling of textile waste and smart pigments for use in textile design through specialist printing techniques.

investigating appropriate techniques for the conversion of pre-consumer textile waste into a new form of fabric material and creating a printed design on the new material made of textile waste, using a smart pigment.

The study has used printing techniques to apply smart pigments to fabrics made from textile waste.

The problems of textile waste and the approaches that have already been taken to reduce it are examined here.

The fields of smart textiles and smart pigments are assessed, and the techniques for textile design through printing are evaluated.

Results: A new method was developed for developing fabric from textile waste, using a bandaging and stiffening process; this textile material was then printed with printing paste containing smart pigments and the chromic effects were evaluated.

This research shows that the techniques and processes employed are effective ways to re-use textile waste for various products with added functionality through the use of smart pigments.