WorkAware
The WorkAware project investigates how increasing the use of recycled polyester–cotton fibres affects the quality of yarns for workwear. While recycling textiles is key to improving sustainability, recycled fibres are often shorter and more damaged, which can reduce yarn strength and uniformity.
To address this, the project explored blending recycled fibres with virgin materials in different proportions (5–35%) using ring spinning. Results showed that higher recycled content slightly reduced yarn quality—particularly strength and evenness—but overall performance remained acceptable for workwear applications. This demonstrates that blending recycled and virgin fibres is a viable strategy for creating more sustainable textiles without severely compromising quality.
The research was conducted at Saxion’s Circular Textile Lab in collaboration with industry partners Van Moer, Vendrig, and TenCate Protective Fabrics.
The project is funded by Regieorgaan SIA (KIEM High Tech).
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