Waste management in coated and laminated textiles

Abstract

Coated and laminated textiles are built as durable and high-performance products. Coatings are designed to adhere inseparably to their substrates and lamination adhesives are supposed to have long-term bonding properties, therefore, they are difficult to disassemble and reuse. Further, increasing the use of nanomaterials in coating adds complexity to recycling and waste management. However, in sync with the general demand that today’s industrial production must adopt a circular economy for sustainability and endeavor reduction of the earth’s pollution load with which its inhabitants are constantly endangered, coating industry is welcoming and adopting various practices for waste control, reuse, and recycling of both in-house materials and used products before disposal. In this direction, the present chapter reviews the status of waste minimization, choosing the right raw materials and making the most out of them by incorporating efficient processes, as well the concept of reuse and recycling of the discards. If cradle to cradle approach in reuse and recycling is adopted by the coating and the laminating industries properly, it will solve the problems of their garbage, and the associated environmental pollution.