Enabling waterless polycotton textile waste recycling via controlled partial depolymerization of polyester
Journal article, 2025
Less than 1 % of post-consumer textiles are currently recycled, largely due to the challenge of separating polycotton blends. This study introduces a novel, waterless chemical recycling method for highly pigmented 50/50 polycotton textiles, enabling selective depolymerization of polyester into oligomers while recovering cotton for fibre-to-fibre recycling. The process uses a polar aprotic solvent as a reaction medium with sub-stochiometric ratio of ethylene glycol or glycerol as cleaving agents to partially break down polyester, leaving cotton structurally intact. Polyester-derived oligomers, dyes and pigments remain in the solvent, allowing cotton to be recovered clean, free of residual colorants, minimizing downstream processing. The recovered cotton is blended with kraft pulp and spun into viscose fibres—demonstrating compatibility with existing textile production. This scalable, resource-efficient approach enables simultaneous cotton reuse, polyester oligomers upcycling without purification, and solvent recovery— offering a practical route to reduce virgin cotton use and environmental impact while advancing textile circularity.
Textile waste
Waterless separation
Controlled depolymerization
Cellulose fiber spinning
Chemical recycling
Author
Nupur Gupta
Nanyang Technological University
School of Materials Science and Engineering
Tien Hoa Nguyen
Nanyang Technological University
School of Materials Science and Engineering
Yin Ying Hng
Nanyang Technological University
Esha Sharma
School of Materials Science and Engineering
Nanyang Technological University
Geok Leng Seah
School of Materials Science and Engineering
Nanyang Technological University
Ying Siew Khoo
Nanyang Technological University
School of Materials Science and Engineering
Yen Nan Liang
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute
Poernomo Gunawan
School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
Mun Wai Lee
School of Materials Science and Engineering
Jia Wei Chew
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology
Chor Yong Tay
School of Materials Science and Engineering
Nanyang Technological University
Jaroslav Stavik
Nanyang Technological University
Hu Xiao
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute
School of Materials Science and Engineering
Resources, Conservation and Recycling
09213449 (ISSN) 18790658 (eISSN)
Vol. 223 108512Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Polymer Chemistry
Textile, Rubber and Polymeric Materials
DOI
10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108512