Climate change and environmental degradation are some of the main concerns facing us today. With barely 1% of garments being recycled and three quarters of the world’s clothing ending up in landfill, the textile industry is actively seeking ways to make production patterns more sustainable and pay more attention to the entire life cycle of items of clothing. Rieter is actively committed to a sustainable policy, using its technological expertise to offer a complete recycling spinning system for both ring and rotor spinning lines that enables customers to spin fibers from used garments and waste into yarns.
Recycling Spinning System
Spin yarn from used clothes- Close the loop in the textile industry
- Spin ring and rotor yarns
- Set new standards in spinning post-consumer material
Recycling in textile
One of the goals within the textile industry is to “close the loop,” which refers to the process of recycling and reusing products without material loss – or, in other words, using less raw material and diverting waste away from landfill.
This would entail, however, solving one of today's main challenges: recycling pre- and post-consumer goods. Until recently, recycled clothes have been used mainly into lower-value applications. Rieter's technological know-how enables yarns of sufficient quality to be produced for use in weaving and knitting applications, thus finally allowing pre- and post-consumer goods to be recycled in similar applications.
Rieter rotor recycling system
Rieter has optimized the rotor spinning technology, which is naturally adapted for applications using materials with short fibers. Special geometries and options allow for optimized adaptations. The fully automated machine combines high potential for yarn tenacity with the capability to handle many ends down with excellent piecing quality.
As a result, using Rieter's recycling system on a rotor spinning line makes it possible, for example, to spin yarn up to Ne 20 with a blend of 75% post-consumer material and 25% virgin cotton, or yarn up to Ne 30 with a blend of 87,5% pre-consumer material and polyester.
Rieter ring recycling system
Nowadays, recycled yarns are rarely produced on ring spinning lines. Rieter offers a complete system that is designed to process short fibers in the best possible way. Despite the presence of very short fibers from the recycled post-consumer branch, the yarns obtained can be used in weaving and knitting applications. Using Rieter’s recycling system makes it possible, for example, to spin ring yarns with a share of up to 40%.
Machine features for recycled material
All machines can be adapted to the properties of recycled raw material. Check out the features of the card C 80 and the roving frame F 40.
Card C 80 for recycling applications
Largest total carding area
40 working flats and the longest pre- and post-carding zone enable intensive opening, also of yarn and fabric remnants.
Optimal preparation by licker-in
The licker-in removes unopened material, which can still be present after the tearing process. For most recycled material, the sawtooth clothing is recommended.
Special Graf clothing sets
There are special Graf clothing sets for the different requirements. For recycled raw material, usually the flexible flats are used; for special cases, the semi-rigid flats are recommended.
Easy cleaning thanks to modular design
Residues of colored recycled material can be quickly removed from the web bridge, thus ensuring a perfect web.
Roving frame F 40 for recycling applications
Top roller cleaning device with felt
This optional device takes up the fluff from the top rollers. With the integrated metal comb on top of the felt, the fluff is collected at a specified place and removed by the OHTC suction nozzle.
Overhead Travelling Cleaner (OHTC)
The OHTC removes the accumulations from the cleaning felt and reduces fiber fly, which is crucial for materials with a high short-fiber content.
Suction for table cleaning
Recommended option to control fiber fly in the drafting zone. Defined nozzles of the OHTC blow the fluff towards suction funnels below the drafting zone, resulting in a constantly clean flyer table.
Example of a recycled garment
The good pilling values of yarns from the Rieter recycling system make many different applications possible, from socks to sweaters. Chinos and workwear can be made out of recycled materials too. Chino pants like these are typically made with a blend of recycled cotton and virgin cotton.
Recycling journey:
- A second-hand T-shirt
- has its material torn to tear fibers
- and recycled into high-quality yarns
- to produce a chino pant.
Rieter recycling classification
To help spinners work with recycled fibers, Rieter has established a recycling classification system for the typical raw-material quality available on the market. The Rieter recycling classification makes it easier for spinners to estimate what targets can be reached depending on the material. The short-fiber content, mean fiber length and 5% fiber length are important parameters after the tearing process because they determine which subsequent spinning process (ring or rotor) should be used and which quality (uniformity) and maximum spinning fineness (yarn count) can be achieved.
Classification | SHORT-FIBER CONTENT | Mean Fiber Length | 5% FIBER LENGTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good | 45% | 17 mm | 31 mm |
| Good | 55% | 14 mm | 29 mm |
| Medium | 60% | 13 mm | 28 mm |
| Poor | 78% | 10 mm | 22 mm |
| Cotton as reference | 24% | 21 mm | 34 mm |
The System Partner
A complete Rieter system is established on Rieter’s expertise throughout the entire spinning process: from processing raw material to yarn. Experts offer a wide range of services. The entire spinning mill is networked and controlled from a single platform with ESSENTIAL – Rieter Digital Spinning Suite. This guarantees high quality and optimal efficiency, both now and in the future.
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