JAMES Cropper has announced it has devised a ‘revolutionary process’ that makes it possible to recover and use cotton fibres from the UK’s polycotton waste stream and transform them into paper.
The firm said the UK is the fourth largest producer of textile waste in Europe, with only 10% being recycled. Until now, only pure cotton has been able to be used in papermaking.
In response, James Cropper has devised a new process, with a published patent. The pilot project, funded by Innovate UK, saw polycotton waste sourced from the UK’s commercial laundries. With bed sheets currently only used 10 times before being incinerated, James Cropper explained that the hotel industry has been searching for a sustainable solution, making them the perfect partner.
Currently, many of the ways to reclaim polyester and cotton use ‘aggressive chemistry’. Instead, James Cropper revealed it began to explore a more sustainable approach to separate cotton and polyester within used white bed sheets that also avoids a destructive effect on the fibres.
Described as a ‘world first’, the early lab trials have shown promising results, with up to 98% of cotton fibres successfully recovered.
Joanne Storey, R&D programme lead at James Cropper and one of the inventors of the process, said, “At James Cropper we love a challenge and providing a sustainable solution to the waste generated by the UK textile industry was just that.”
Upon completion of this project, the intention is to scale the process, identify collaborators and evaluate wider industry implementation.
Joanne Storey added, “Low-value waste materials such as hotel bed sheets can now become valuable, recyclable paper-making fibres. And our ambitions don’t stop there. We want to explore how this regeneration technology could transform supply chains of a range of industries.”
