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From TEKOWiki
===End of use===
Synthetic fibres are from a carbon-based chemical feedstock and are considered non-biodegradable.7 <br/>Polyamide 6 and 6,6 products have the durability to last many years, however if they are discarded, could sit in the landfill for decades.
Discarded polyamide products increase load on landfills, contribute to land and water contamination and possibly toxic emissions into the air.8 <br/>When incinerated, polyamide 6 and 6,6 emit chemicals, such as nitrogen oxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and acrolein, that are poisonous and possible carcinogens.9
==Alternatives to virgin polyamide==
===Recycled polyamide===
Using recycled polyamide achieves two main ecological benefits: 1) it slows the depletion of virgin natural resources, and 2) it reduces textile waste building in landfills. Polyamide can be recycled into new versions of the same product or into entirely different products.
Post-consumer waste from used and discarded products and post-industrial waste from material collected during the product manufacturing can be recycled. There are two processes for recycling polyamide fibres: mechanical and chemical.
===Mechanical recycling===
Polyamide 6 and 6,6 can be effectively collected, cleaned, cut, re-melted and remolded to make yarns. However, the fibre is “downcycled” in this manner, which means that its physical structure breaks down, and eventually the product must be discarded to landfill.10
Collection, sorting and purifying discarded synthetic garments (i.e., post-consumer waste) is currently cumbersome. Infrastructures for labeling, collection and sorting need to be improved so that the post-consumer raw material source can scale to be economically viable.
===Chemical recycling===
There is potential for polyamide 6 to be chemically recycled. Chemical recycling involves breaking the polymer into its molecular parts and reforming the molecules into a yarn of equal strength and quality as the original, in perpetuity. In this process, the chemical building blocks are separated (depolymerization) and reassembled (repolymerization), forming what is known as a “closed loop” where the final stage of the product's lifecycle (disposal) forms the first stage of the next product (raw fibre). Closed loop recycled polyamide processing is currently limited to Polyamide 6, and is expensive in part because it is a relatively new technology. In addition, the infrastructure to label, collect, sort and purify discarded garments must be in place.12
==Optimize sustainability benefits==
• Promote the use of chemically recycled, closed loop Polyamide 6.
==Availability==
OEKO-TEK® Standard 100 certified polyamide is available. Manufacturers can be found at: www.OEKO-TEK.com
Non-toxic methods of waterproofing and flame retardancy are available.
Recycled polyamide is available globally in United States, Europe, Slovenia, Croatia, China, Japan and Israel.15,16
== End use==
Jackets, lingerie, swimwear, exercise wear, hosiery, jackets, bedspreads, carpets, upholstery, tents, fish nets, sleeping bags, rope, parachutes, luggage.
Some companies are producing versions of mechanically recycled polyamide that are of almost equal quality to virgin polyamide.
==Marketing opportunities==
'''X% Recycled Content''' Regulations require stating percent recycled if not 100% recycled content.<br/>
'''non-toxic DWR methods''' If used and verified.<br/>
'''non-toxic methods of waterproofing''' If used and verified.<br/>
'''OEKO-TEK® Standard 100 certified''' If verified and used.<br/>
'''XX% bio-based''' If verified and used.
==Innovation opportunities==
1. Investigate alternative technologies for colouring polyamide fabrics, such as transfer printing, which eliminates water from the dyeing process.17<br/><br/>
2. Design garments and products with reusable elements for easy disassembly. Design the product so that trims, tags, buttons, etc., can be easily separated from the main body of the product at the end of its useful life, to enable easy in-house recycling. Create collection systems for the products. Collect, disassemble, reuse.<br/><br/>
3. Create internal store collections of polyamide 6 and 6,6 garments and products. Use fabric from collected garments and products to innovatively redesign new products and prolong the lifecycle.<br/><br/>
4. Work with partners to develop closed loop recycling of polyamide 6 and 6,6 fibres and infrastructure to label, collect, sort and purify garments.<br/><br/>
5. Explore the unique aesthetics of recycled polyamide to encourage innovative design of products.<br/><br/>
6. In the cases where recycled polyamide 6 and 6,6 affect the aesthetic of the garment, craft marketing messages to turn potential negatives into positives.<br/><br/>
7. Explore alternative fibres in replacement of polyamide that utilize cleaner manufacturing process, enable easier recycling or are biodegradable.<br/><br/>
8. Get your product Cradle to Cradle Certified. The Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM Product Standard is a multi-attribute, continuous improvement methodology that provides a path to manufacturing healthy and sustainable products. The Standard rewards achievement in five categories and at five levels of certification. An accredited assessor will help to assess and optimize your product.<br/><br/>
9. Be knowledgeable about the most environmentally impacted stages of the polyamide lifecycle. Work with partners to decrease impacts of these stages.
==Sources==
# http://www.ensinger-online.com/en/materials/engineering-plastics/polyamides/
# antron.net/na/pdfs/literature/K02510_N66vsN6_Tech_Bulletin_06_18_13.pdf
# Freinkel, Susan. PLASTIC A Toxic Love Story. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011.
# http://www.engr.utk.edu/~mse/Textiles/Nylon%20fibres.htm
# http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/benzene/docs/benzene.pdf
# http://www.patagonia.com/pdf/en_US/fluorochemicals.pdf
# Grose, Lynda and Kate Fletcher. Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd, 2012.
# http://www.epa.gov/ttnchie1/le/acrylon.pdf
#denr.sd.gov/des/wm/sw/documents/OpenBurningChemicalList.pdf
# The Textile Dyer, “Concern over Recycled Polyester,” May 13, 2008.
# oecotextiles.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/why-is-recycled-polyester-considered-a-sustainable-textile/#_ftn6
# hrd.apec.org/images/a/aa/62.4.pdf
# http://www.chemsystems.com/about/cs/news/items/PERP%200910_1_Caprolactam.cfm
# http://www.OEKO-TEK.com/media/downloads/Factsheet_OETS_100_EN.pdf
# http://www.aquafil.com/en/about-us/worldwide.html
# http://www.thecleanestline.com/2009/03/closing-the-loop-a-report-on-patagonias-common-threads-garment-recycling-program.html
# http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/07/airdye-dyeing-fabric-without-water/
