Life cycle environmental impact assessment of cotton recycling and the benefits of a Take-Back system

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 significantly reduce environmental impacts and contribute to environmental sustainability.