Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

The world produces 92 million tons of textile waste every year. However, only 20% of used textiles are collected for reuse or recycling globally, and roughly 90 billion new clothing garments are produced globally every year. Further, roughly 60% of all clothing material is plastic making the textile industry the second-highest polymer consuming industrial sector after packaging. Nylon, acrylic, and polyester textiles are just a few examples of these synthetic fibers in our wardrobes. Nuria Scientific is a biotechnology company specializing in bio-based polymers. Their focus has evolved from non-woven and electrospun textile material to understanding the importance of the circular textile recycling industry to help break down post-consumer textiles for the recovery of both cellulosic- and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based fibers. The overall project goal and objectives is to expand the sustainable fashion industry by repurposing post-consumer cotton and cotton/polyester waste textiles into reusable fibers (to engage textile manufacturing), and sugars to supplement media to support microbiological culture (carbon source) among other application such as Biofuel, paper, etc.