Advancing textile circularity: mechanically recycling fibers for manufacturing nonwoven landscaping mats and yarns

Abstract

The thesis explores the mechanical recycling of post-consumer textiles using the Fiber Shredder, a patent-pending technology developed at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Discarded garments were processed to recover usable fibers, which were then turned into both nonwoven landscaping mats use for weed suppression and yarns. Material loss was tracked at each stage, and a recycling efficiency indicator was developed to assess overall process effectiveness. The nonwoven mats were tested in the field to evaluate their real-world performance. Finally, a life cycle assessment (LCA) compared the environmental impact of these recycled fiber products with commercially available alternatives, offering practical insights into scalable, circular solutions for textile waste.