| Title |
Life cycle environmental impact assessment of cotton recycling and the benefits of a Take-Back system |
| ID_Doc |
29400 |
| Authors |
Roy, S; Chu, YYJ; Chopra, SS |
| Title |
Life cycle environmental impact assessment of cotton recycling and the benefits of a Take-Back system |
| Year |
2023 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.rcradv.2023.200177 |
| Abstract |
This study assessed the contribution of mechanically recycled cotton to reducing environmental impacts of fabric production by blending the recycled cotton with 100% virgin cotton of different types, including the U.S., BCI-Brazilian, Global average, and China. GHG emissions, water footprint, air pollution, and land use were investigated for producing 1 kg fabric, considering a 'cradle-to-gate' approach. A 'Take-Back' system was modeled using the circular economy concept to illustrate potential impact reduction by avoiding virgin cotton. Impact reduction scenarios were created considering varying blending ratios (i.e., virgin/ recycled), focusing on 70% virgin and 30% recycled cotton (target). Results reveal that compared to the baseline impacts, the target scenario could reduce environmental impacts by 2.2-8.6% (GHG emissions), 0.6-24.5% (water footprint), 1.4-11.6% (air pollution), and 3.1-25.2% (land use). In summary, recycled cotton could partially substitute 100% virgin cotton for fabric production. Besides, implementing and scaling up the 'Take-Back' system could reduce environmental impacts and contribute to environmental sustainability. |
| Author Keywords |
Life cycle assessment; GHG emission; Water footprint; Air pollution; Recycled cotton; Sustainability |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) |
| EID |
WOS:001091030200001 |
| WoS Category |
Environmental Sciences |
| Research Area |
Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| PDF |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcradv.2023.200177
|