Millions of tons of clothing end up in landfills every year (Credit: Earth.org/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

Fast fashion has made clothing cheaper than ever, but at a high environmental cost. Earth.org estimates that about 92 million tons of unwanted clothing end up in landfills every year. That is the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothes being dumped every second. Thomas Harter and his team at Austria's Graz University of Technology hope to help reduce this waste by using discarded clothes to create stronger packaging material.

The researchers start by shredding the clothing and soaking it in a water-based solution. This mixture is then put through a milling machine. This separates the cotton fibers from the fabric without causing knots or clumps.

The fiber mix is added to normal recycled paper pulp (Credit: Graz University of Technology/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

Next, the fiber mix is combined with recycled paper pulp used to produce materials like cardboard. It is then run through traditional papermaking machines. The result is a stronger paper than that made from recycled paper fibers alone. This is because textile fibers, which are much longer than regular paper fibers, fit together better.

The textile-reinforced paper has a slight brown tint with flecks of color from the dyed fabrics. However, this does not affect its suitability for packaging materials or cardboard boxes. Most importantly, it can be recycled just like regular paper.

The textile-infused paper is much stronger than regular packaging paper (Credit: Graz University of Technology/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

"Strictly speaking, the conversion of textile fibers into paper is a downgrade," says Harter. "However, it has a major advantage from an environmental point of view. The paper cycle is highly closed, with recycling rates of over 90 percent in the packaging sector."

The technology is still in its early stages. The team hopes to make the process more efficient by using mild acids and other chemicals to help break down the fibers. This would reduce the need for intense milling, speed up production, and lower costs. Once ready, this innovation could significantly reduce global textile waste. An added bonus? This stronger packaging paper would last longer. This would reduce the amount of paper waste generated during packaging production.

Resources: Newatlas.com, tugraz.at, Earth.org