Turning Plastic Wastes into Textile Products

Plastic is a component of many consumer products and constitutes most of the output and final products of the manufacturing industry. Plastic materials, which are used in almost every sector, constitute a large part of the solid waste volume in proportion to their usage rates. About 300 million tons of plastic waste is produced every year but sadly most of them are not recycled. Looking at the textile industry, it is clear that synthetic fibers have replaced natural fibers in recent years owing to their low cost, and this has made plastic materials one of the most important sources of the textile sector. However, the increasing decrease in raw material resources has turned the interest in recycled materials as raw materials in the textile industry, as in all other sectors. Today, it is known that many textile companies use recycled plastics as synthetic fiber raw materials in order to reduce their costs and support nature and sustainable economy. In this chapter, recycling plastic wastes into textile products is examined based on applications in textile sector and the positive effects of these applications to the circular economy and the environment.