Denim Return Project An Investigation of The Recycling and

Denim Return Project
Final Report
Denim Return Project: An Investigation of the Recycling and Reuse of Denim Waste
Bradmill Undare Group
11/1/1999
Final Report
Author
Bradmill Undare Group Denim Park 341 Francis Street YARRAVILLE VIC 3013 Tel: (03) 9274 6200; Fax: (03) 9274 6201
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the following companies/organisations who provided support, expertise and resources, which enabled this project to be completed. Texskill Smith Family Industries EcoRecycle Victoria Bradmill Undare Group
Disclaimer
This report has been prepared for EcoRecycle Victoria by the Bradmill Undare Group. The views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of EcoRecycle Victoria. The contents of the report are provided for information purposes. EcoRecycle make no claim as to the accuracy or authenticity of the content of this publication and does not accept liability to any person for the information or advice provided in this document or incorporated into it by reference. EcoRecycle does not accept liability for loss or damages incurred as a result of reliance placed upon the content of this document. The document is provided on the basis that all persons accessing it undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its content.
Date
January 1999
Publishers
EcoRecycle Victoria Level 4, 478 Albert Street EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002 Tel: (03) 9639 3322; Fax: (03) 9639 3077 Email: mailbox@ecorecycle.vic.gov.au Web site: www.ecorecycle.vic.gov.au
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Project Title:
The Denim Return Project
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Background: The Project Objectives:
3
4 5
PROJECT RESULTS:
1. The form of denim (and other cotton) wastes 2. Examination of reuse and recycling options for denim 2a). Recycling denim wastes into recycled denim 2b) Paper manufacture 2c) Paper Board manufacture 2d) Shredding for fill 2e) Shredding for adsorbent applications 2f) Combustion of wastes 3. Establishment of a return service for scrap denim to Bradmill Undare customers 3a) Survey of Victorian customers 3b) Estimated quantities of denim wastes recoverable 4. Analysis of denim waste reuse options 4a) Paper and board making 4b) Merchant applications 4c) Combustion 4d) Recycled yarn manufacture 5. Recycled yarn production
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6 8 8 9 10 10 10 10 11 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 14
CONCLUSION
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Project Title:
Background:
THE DENIM RETURN PROJECT An Investigation of the Recycling / Reuse of Denim Wastes
Bradmill Undare manufactures a range of denim fabrics that are sold locally and exported. Denim wastes are generated such as warp tailings, denim selvedge, fabric scraps and other smaller wastes. Denim wastes are also produced by Bradmill Undare customers in their garment manufacturing operations. This project has investigated opportunities for the recycling and reuse for denim wastes and to provide this as a total recycling / recovery service to Bradmill Undares customers as well as fulfilling a need for waste reduction at the Denim Park facility. Recycling and reuse options set up at Bradmill Undare may provide better and more economic methods of waste denim usage for Bradmill Undare and its customers. In the past Bradmill has been involved in yarns spun from cotton wastes. It had a dedicated waste spinning line that produced a range of yarns up to 300 Tex (for mop yarn). This line was fed by motes and other cheap cotton fibre. This plant also produced open ended (OE) yarns for weft in a low end denim product. This line was sold off when management decided to concentrate on the high quality end of the denim market. These operations did not include fibre reclamation from hardwaste1. With the development of a greater industrial environmental awareness, this situation may need to be reversed and Bradmill has decided to look at the waste issue including opportunities for reuse of denim wastes.
The opportunities for denim reuse that this project has investigated are: 1. Shredding and recycling into a new spinning operation 2. Shredding and reuse as a fibre base for paper and cardboard 3. Sorting and packaging for sale locally and overseas 4. Briquetting for combustion in Bradmill Undare boilers 5. Shredding and use as filling material for a range of non-woven applications including wadding for furniture, cushions and pillows, car wadding 6. Shredding and use in mushroom production 7. Shredding for use as an absorbent material (mainly for oil spills) 8. Use of larger scraps as polishing rags
Twisted fibres e.g. yarn or fabric. Opposite to softwaste which is loose fibre.
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The Project Objectives: The objectives are to study options for the recovery and recycling of denim wastes and to maximise the economies and opportunities by applying this to the supply chain from denim manufacture through to the finished garment. In this the following objectives may be stated: 1. To maximise the opportunities for denim waste recycling and hence to reduce landfill wastes 2. To provide the best options for denim waste reuse to large and small denim users 3. To reduce wastes and maximise product recycling, fibre and colour recovery
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Project results:
1. The form of denim (and other cotton) wastes Bradmill produces fibre wastes in various forms from its cotton and Tencel processing operations. Bradmill Undares clients produce cutting wastes from garment cutting and make-up operations. The nature of the wastes is important in the form of the final use that they can be put to. The basic split in fibre wastes is between hard wastes in which the fibre has been spun and soft wastes in which the fibre has not been spun. Bradmill client wastes are all hard wastes, which need to be pretreated before they can be respun. Fibre length is critical to the end application: short fibre lengths less than 3-4 mm cannot be respun, but may be used for a range of other applications including non-wovens and paper manufacture where short fibre length is a requirement. Longer fibres may be suitable for respinning, although the condition of the fibre is again important: stressed fibre will break easily and cause further wastage. Impurities are also an important aspect of fibre reuse. Mixed fibre types reduce reuse options, dirt and vegetable matter have to be removed and metal contamination can cause serious hazards in reprocessing. In weaving operations yarn is sized with a starchy material. Sizing has to be removed before respinning, which adds considerable cost to reprocessing operations. This may also affect the recyclability of waste yarns. Sizing will affect fibre absorbency , which will reduce its effectiveness in oil spill collection, paper production and may reduce its usability in other non-woven applications. Colour in fibre can have a positive, or a negative effect on its recyclability. Coloured fibre has to be bleached before it can be used to manufacture high quality white paper. Indigo used in blue denim is difficult to apply to the fibre and difficult to remove through bleaching. However, the residual colours in denim fibre may enhance the final product if it has a particular application. Recycled denim has been used to manufacture denim coloured paper, denim pencils and other stationery items. Recycling operations in Europe use coloured fibre sorted into colours for respinning. Careful colour mixing of fibre flocks can achieve specified colours in final spun yarns without requiring dyeing. This type of operation has a minimum economic input of approximately 250 tonnes of cotton wastes per month. (Bradmill produces approximately 20 tonnes per month.).
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Denim Return Project A basic breakdown of reuse fibre requirements is given below: APPLICATION SHORT Respinning for coloured yarn Respinning for denim r Paper production Paper board production Shredding for fill Shredding for absorbent Combustion Non-woven FIBRE CHARACTER LONG COLOURED
Final Report
SIZED Desizing may be required Desizing required
METAL CONTAM. r r r r r r
a a
r
a
Blue is okay (maybe black) May require bleaching
a a a a a a
a a
? r
a a a a a
a a a
May require bleaching
May require desizing
a
r
Rags
scraps 8 cm sq. (min)
a a a
a a
N/A
Mushroom production
Note: Note that there are various types of denim wastes, some are coloured, others have size on them, some are spun and others are soft wastes. Denim fabric and selvedge may have some contamination with synthetic and other non-cotton fibre. It is not surprising that the respinning represents the highest level of value adding to the recycled fibre and combustion the lowest.
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2. Examination of reuse and recycling options for denim This part of the project has been undertaken over a number of years already as both Bradmill Undare and its customers have looked for alternative measures to tipping denim wastes. The base option against which all other reuse options will be measured is the resale of denim wastes on the open international market. Bradmill Undare has been approached by merchants who wish to purchase these wastes and Bradmill Undare may act as a central collection and distribution point. Rags sell on the international market for varying prices, depending on whether they are colour sorted, clean and the fibre composition. Cotton rags, colour sorted from middle Europe could be obtained free on board (FOB) for about US$0.50 / kg at the time of writing. Approximate pricing for recyclable fibre in various forms is given below: TYPE OF WASTE Pure cotton (from Ginners) Cotton Rags (Australia) Raw floc Cotton (paper pulp) Shreddable cotton for adsorbents Shreddable cotton for filling Cotton trash for burning AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR VALUE $2.40 /kg $0.42 / kg <$2.40 / kg <$0.70 / kg $0.25 / kg $0.15 / kg $0.04 / kg
This should be balanced against the cost of disposal to landfill which is approximately $0.09 / kg.
2a). Recycling denim wastes into a recycled denim Our investigations have revealed an American mill that recycles its fibre wastes into recycled denim. Burlington Industries Inc. is a large American operation in Greensborough, N.C. that holds US patents on denim recycling systems lodged in 1994. A representative from Bradmill approached Burlington, who encouraged Bradmill with its recycling efforts. They also mentioned that the recycling operations were only marginal in terms of their economic return to Burlington. The patent No. 5,369,861 from Dec 6, 1994 describes a process of desizing, floc production and respinning. There are other textile waste respinning systems such as the DREF-2 Spinning System from the Fehrer & Company 1984, described in Chemiefaser /
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Final Report
Textilindustrie Vol. 40 / 92, Sep. 1990. Bradmill has examined some of these technologies and is continuing to develop its own reclamation and respinning systems. Anecdotal reports suggest that the Italian textile industry has a thriving recycling component. An international textile trading company representative said that the throughput for a viable fibre reprocessing industry was approximately 250 tonnes of fibre / month. Some levels of contamination with synthetic fibre can be tolerated in recycling as long as the yarns do not have to be dyed.
2b) Paper manufacture We approached the two large paper manufacturers: - Visy - Amcor We also held meetings with the CSIRO scientists on opportunities for waste fibre reprocessing. The general conclusions reached were: 1. A minimum batch size of 200 tonne was required for paper manufacture (Visy estimate). 2. Coloured waste fibre would have to be bleached for high quality paper (Denim uses Indigo colouring, which can only be bleached using chlorine). 3. Fibre lengths have to be kept short and pre-pulp shredding would be needed. 4. Synthetic fibre contamination would not be tolerated in significant amounts.
5. Cotton wastes would have to be chemically treated in order to pulp properly 6. Recycled paper prices were low because supply exceeded demand so there was little incentive for the paper companies to look at this waste material. Even though cotton fibre can produce superior paper qualities.
Bradmill approached the Shire of Benalla who are planning a pulp mill for paper production from fast growing crops and may be able to use cotton wastes to top up crop yields. There were a number of other crop wastes to paper projects identified, but it was unlikely that these processes would pay for cotton wastes. Another pulp mill is planned for Horsham. This is intending to use straw as the raw material for paper pulp. Transport costs would prevent an economic transfer of cotton wastes into this process.
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2c) Paper Board manufacture The requirements for paper board manufacture are much less stringent as the paper board is a lower grade of product with a lower value per kg. Van Leer Industries was approached and did do some laboratory trials with mixed cotton wastes from Bradmill. These were not successful and it was concluded that the cotton wastes would have to be chemically treated in order to pulp properly. As Van Leer did no chemical pretreatment of its recycled paper it was unable to accept these wastes.
2d) Shredding for fill Bradmill has sent a good deal of its waste fibre to a scrap merchant for final use as a fill material in mattresses, car headlining and other filling applications. The merchant cut the wastes, they were then shredded and blended. The merchant has indicated that sized fibre is no longer suitable, selvedge demand has dropped and hessian bags previously recycled were also not suitable for reuse due to metal contamination with wire used to attach tags. This may have also been the result of low demand for these wastes. It is understood that the companies using this fill import rags and fibre as well as purchasing locally, but the application is limited and demand is reliant on the end applications continuing.
2e) Shredding for adsorbent applications Shredded cotton is a good absorbent and a company in Sydney is purchasing cotton wastes and shredding them for this application. Again the market is considered to be very limited and of low value.
2f) Combustion of wastes Bradmill has purchased a briquetting machine to compact unreprocessable cotton wastes into small briquettes for combustion. This application has an even lower value at approximately 4c/kg, which is still preferable to landfill at a cost of about 9c. per kg. Combustion problems were experienced in trials: - the cotton briquettes broke up in coal bunkers and fouled the hoppers - water used to quench the coal dust caused the briquettes to swell - feed hoppers were choked with cotton - there was a fear that the cotton dusts would coat tubes and reduce heat transfer - boiler operators suggested that the cotton trash generated smoke in stack emissions
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Final Report
Cotton briquette combustion characteristics were examined by RMIT laboratories using thermal gravimetric analysis (by Dr. Shanks, School of Applied Science) and the results are summarised below in comparison with published figures for coal (energy brix) :
Property Moisture content Ash Heat value Combustion range Compressive strength
Coal (energy brix) 10-14 % 1-2 % 22,500 kJ/kg 900-1100 C 180 kg/cm2
Cotton briquettes (3 samples analysed) 7-10 % 5.9-8.5 % 11,000-14,000 kJ/kg 350- 600 C not tested
The cotton briquettes appeared to combust satisfactorily in comparison with the coal briquettes (energy brix) currently used in the Bradmill boilers. Moisture content of the cotton briquettes was below that expected for the coal, while ash residues was 4 times higher than that of coal. Heat value of the cotton briquettes was just over half that of coal and full combustion would be expected in boiler temperatures exceeding 600 C. Ash content may be a concern as this may have an effect as a deposit on tubing, but the mix of coal briquettes to cotton would be at a very high ratio. (3 tonnes of cotton briquettes per week compared to 440 tonnes of coal briquettes per week.) Trials have been recommenced to see if deleterious effects are evident with prolonged cotton briquette usage. Due to hopper problems the cotton briquettes are being shoveled manually into the furnaces and a dedicated feed system will be required if this operation proves successful. Bradmill Undare is also looking at using briquettes made from wood dusts.
3. Establishment of a return service for scrap denim to Bradmill Undare customers While Bradmill Undares waste volumes for denim may total 5,000 kg per week, its customers also produce denim waste. If this is consolidated at one point through a return system the reuse options will have a higher volume and better economics. This also provides a way for smaller companies using denim to become involved in waste reduction through recycling without the need of setting up their own programs. Bradmill Undare will be providing further value to its products by taking away wastes. Return systems for denim wastes will have to be organised and communications of options for customers provided in an information kit on denim return. It appears that the project will best be piloted on local customers who are serviced by Bradmill Undares own delivery trucks. If this proves viable it can be extended to interstate customers.
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3a) Survey of Victorian customers We undertook a survey of Bradmill Undare customers in Victoria to see if they could hold cotton/denim wastes for collection and recycling. We surveyed 82 Bradmill Undare customers, most of whom are small garment manufacturers. A response was obtained from 29, or 36% and a significant percentage of the remainder were managing agents and not manufacturers themselves, they subcontracted out the manufacturing of garments. Of those who responded the overwhelming majority were either interested in this recycling program, or were already involved in another recycling program. The larger customers reused scraps internally, or had an arrangement with a recycler to take away the scraps without charge, or payment.
Other recycling systems mentioned were: - recycling as insulation - rags used for cleaning - used as stuffing in toys. Contamination of the denim wastes was an issue for some of the garment manufacturers who used other materials such as polyester. Others reported contamination with marking paper. 60% of these responding said that they could easily segregate the cotton wastes for collection. There was also an option established to take other cotton wastes from these garment manufacturers. Some of whom purchased other denim fabrics and others who produced non denim garments.
3b) Estimated quantities of denim wastes recoverable The quantity of denim wastes from Bradmill customers has been estimated as follows: Surveyed customers Total Australian sales Sales/ week 4,790 metres 50,000 m. Wastes 253 kg /week 2,600
The weight of 1.2 metres of denim is approximately 1.0 kg, therefore the wastage factor for the garment manufacturers is 253 kg for 4000 kg of material processed, or 6.3%. In 1996 Bradmill processed 10,000 tonne of cotton. It produced 6 million metres of denim weighing 5,000 tonne. Bradmill generated 250 tonne of cotton wastes while its Australian customers produced an estimated 130 tonne of waste denim. The total potentially recoverable denim / cotton waste is then 380 tonne / year.
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4. Analysis of denim waste reuse options
4a) Paper and board making The potential recovery of 380 tonnes of denim wastes in a year precludes major efforts in terms of paper manufacturing at first pass unless the denim is added to another substrate for the production of a diluted paper, or cardboard. The economics of paper manufacture in large commercial quantities would require storage and accumulation of these wastes for the better part of a whole year. Small paper and board manufacturers do not use chemical pretreatments before pulping if they are using recycled paper. These operations cannot therefore handle cotton wastes.
4b) Merchant applications These applications include rags, filler applications and use as absorbents. They suffer from variation in demand and do not command premium prices for the waste cotton, $0.10 to $0.50 per kg. The off-cuts from cutting table wastes generated by Bradmill Undare clients are generally small, less than 8 cm. sq. which reduces their value to the low end of the range above. If an average value of $0.15 per kg is realised this would have to cover the costs of segregation, retrieval and storage before an economic service could be developed. 4c) Combustion This is only an option for internal Bradmill Undare cotton wastes for spinning operations. With a net value added of $0.13 per kg, over disposal to tip, this reuse of cotton trash is economic if technical problems can be overcome. For this reason extended trials are in progress. 4d) Recycled yarn manufacture The production of recycled denim yarn is the best option for denim scrap reuse as it provides the highest value adding potential. Respinning for denim yarn manufacture may make economic sense, but it appears that there is not sufficient waste denim to support an independent fibre recycling facility. There may be sufficient to run a small recycling unit within a larger spinning operation, such as at Bradmill Undares Denim Park facility. The marketability of a recycled denim yarn, or a recycled denim fabric is critical to the success of such a project.
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Final Report
A superficial market survey was conducted within Bradmill Undare with the following outcomes: There was general interest in the concept Technical problems may need to be overcome: usable yarn finess excessive fabric pilling adequate yarn strength poor processing efficiency excessive shrinkage depth and consistency of colour There may be an opportunity in a course knitting yarn which does not suffer from as many technical restrictions Recycled yarns may only find niche markets and in fact care must be taken with Australians as the term recycled may turn them away (verses Europeans which react more favourably). This implies that market positioning should be based on price, performance and uniqueness. Selling price for a recycled yarn may be between $4 and $9 per kg Vertical integration by manufacturing a recycled denim was suggested The case of Burlington Mills who recycled used denim into yarns was quoted as being of only marginal value to the firm.
5. Recycled yarn production In first round trials Texskill has produced a sliver from a recycled denim scrap floc. Some technical difficulties had to be overcome, but the results were promising. The sliver was tested at the Bradmill lab and showed good eveness and fibre length. The waste used in this first trial was not prepared in a scientific manner, so a second round of trials was prepared with fresh samples of denim wastes. Six bales (1200 kg) of waste were garnetted/flocked by the Smith Family Industries and made ready for spinning trials. These are: Sample Mix A - Indigo Description Designed to maximise the depth of indigo colour. No black. 100% cotton No colour 100% cotton Representative of all types of denim wastes Includes some synthetics No wool No black
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Mix B - Natural Mix C - Full
Denim Return Project Mix D
Final Report Blend of Mix A (90%) to 10% virgin cotton.
Bradmill Undare undertook a series of detailed trials and development work in conjunction with Texskill facilities. The trials were successful in that a range of open end (OE) yarns were produced in several sizes (42 to 98 Tex) and from Mix A, B and D. The yarns were of acceptable quality and colour, although some issues of plant efficiency and process yield need to be addressed. Further yarn conversion is planned for January 98 and fabric/garment sampling in February 98. These samples will enable further technical, market and business evaluation. Note that capital expenditure in specialist plant would be needed to produced these yarns on commercial basis.
CONCLUSION
This project has demonstrated an interest in return of wastes from Bradmill Undare customers, who are keen to participate in waste reduction and recycling programs. Reuse of denim wastes has taken a traditional path of least resistance where uses involving minimal reprocessing have been adopted. This has lead to low value end uses and low prices for denim wastes. Transformation of denim wastes into new and novel products appears to be too costly, while the production of paper, although not difficult technically, is not practical due to the duopoly structure of the Australian paper industry. The key to economic waste reuse is in adding value by respinning denim wastes into yarns that are either developed into a recycled denim, or as knitted fabrics that go with traditional denim garments. A range of reclaimed denim yarns has been successfully produced by Bradmill via this project, however, further development and trial work is required to overcome a number of management, technical and market hurdles before it can be developed commercially. Production efficiency Production yield Garment performance assessment Market assessment and scoping Yarn specification Economic analysis (capital investment will be required).
When these activities have been completed Bradmill Undare management will determine the future direction of this initiative.
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