Investigating the natural degradation of textiles under controllable and uncontrollable environmental conditions

Regardless of the environmental problems caused by discarding non-biodegradable textiles, the production of the textiles is increasing. Landfill sites are a growing concern for the conservation of the environment with the growing increase in textile waste. The recycling of the non-biodegradable textiles has been recognized as a possible solution to help eradicate this problem. However, the costs of the process have been a deterrent. This study addresses the increasing amount of textile products in landfill sites by investigating the degradability of textiles. Instead of only focusing on the recycling of synthetic textiles to decrease textile waste, we study the conditions that enhance the rate of degradability in textiles. The motivation behind this research is the increase in textile wastes in landfill sites in rural areas which pose a threat to environmental conservation. The degradability of silk, denim and cotton was analysed. For the quantitative analysis, the textile was weighed before and after the degradation tests. The textile weight percentage loss was then calculated. The material increased the weight loss over time. The exposure to the sun results showed that denim is the one with the highest degradability rate. In this study, we demonstrated the natural degradability in both controlled and uncontrollable environments. The methods used can be reviewed and applied in eradicating other textiles like polyester, flax and linen. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.