Researchers at MIT have developed a new elastic yarn made entirely from polyethylene that could revolutionize textile recycling. The material performs as well as traditional spandex-based fabrics while addressing a significant environmental challenge in the fashion industry.
Current stretchy clothing typically combines spandex with polyester or nylon fibers. This mixture makes recycling extremely difficult and costly, as the different materials must be chemically separated using toxic processes. As a result, approximately 80 percent of textiles sold in the United States contain spandex and end up incinerated or in landfills rather than being recycled.
The MIT team’s solution leverages polyethylene, one of the world’s most commonly recycled plastics. The new yarn features a soft, rubber-like polyethylene core wrapped tightly with a stiffer polyethylene fiber, creating the necessary stretch and durability. Because both components are made from the same plastic family, they require no separation before recycling.
Laboratory testing demonstrates the yarn’s durability and sustainability. Researchers successfully recycled the material ten times without any loss of performance, and the new yarn even outperformed commercial spandex-polyester blends in strength tests. Scientists suggest the technology could eventually extend beyond yarns to buttons, zippers, and buckles, potentially allowing entire garments to be melted down and remade as single units.
Originally reported by Livescience →
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