Tekstiilijäämä

Tekstiilijäämä refers to waste materials generated during the textile production process or from discarded textile products. This category encompasses a wide range of materials, including fabric scraps, cutting waste, yarn waste, and end-of-life garments that are no longer wearable. The textile industry is a significant contributor to waste streams globally, and managing tekstiilijäämä is an ongoing challenge.

The sources of tekstiilijäämä can be divided into pre-consumer and post-consumer waste. Pre-consumer waste is generated during manufacturing, such as fabric offcuts from pattern cutting or yarn remnants from weaving and knitting. Post-consumer waste, on the other hand, consists of textiles that have been used by consumers and subsequently discarded, including worn-out clothing, household textiles, and industrial textiles.

Effective management of tekstiilijäämä is crucial for environmental sustainability. Strategies include reducing waste at the source through efficient design and production processes, promoting reuse and repair of textiles, and recycling the materials into new products or fibers. Recycling can involve mechanical processes that break down textiles into fibers for use in insulation, carpets, or new yarns, or chemical processes that regenerate fibers. Despite these efforts, a substantial portion of tekstiilijäämä still ends up in landfills or is incinerated, highlighting the need for further innovation and systemic change in the textile industry.