Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry

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Formas Funding for Developing Safe and Sustainable Textile recycling

Textile re- and (up-)cycling is one of the most pressing issues in achieving circular economy. Prof. Aji Mathew and Anneli Kruve, have obtaimed support from the FORMAS Resource efficient and non-toxic call for a two-year project.

Textile re- and (up-)cycling is one of the most pressing issues in achieving circular economy. Prof. Aji Mathew and Anneli Kruve have obtained a support from FORMAS Resource efficient and non-toxic call for a two-year project for a two-year project “Tandem development of waste textile recycling process and chemical screening for a non-toxic Re:Start”. 

In this dual project the groups working at the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University will develop sustainable methods for processing textile waste and detecting potentially toxic compounds in the sorting facilities, products and during processing.

For processing of waste textile a strategy to partially fractionate the textiles to suitable composites will be developed. We expect this strategy to be more toxic free and resource efficient than chemical routes used today. Additionally, new thermomechanical recycling processes will contribute significantly to green recycling into new products for consumer use, describes Prof Aji Mathew.

In a parallel activity an on-line screening method is developed to detect and identify potentially hazardous chemicals present in the waste textile. Such chemicals involve dyes used for coloring the textiles, chemicals used for finishing the product, e.g. water repellent, or chemicals originating from wearing the textile items. Screening methods developed in Re:Start will be lightning fast, allowing to sort the textile waste before recycling so that the new products will be safe to the consumer, says Assoc Prof Anneli Kruve. 

The project will be carried out by two post-doctoral students who will also enjoy a possibility to work in close collaboration between the two research groups and with like-minded peers in Stockholm University Center for Circular and Sustainable Systems (SUCCeSS).We will also work in close collaboration with non-academic partners Wargon innovation and Sole theory.

->A list of projects recommended for funding under Formas  Resource efficient and non toxic call are available here.