Are cloth fibres biodegradable? (3 ways to utilise cloth fibres) 

by

The article will discuss the biodegradability of cloth fibres while also shedding light on associated aspects such as composting, recycling, and reusing. 

Are cloth fibres biodegradable?

Cloth fibres that are made from natural fibres will be biodegradable whereas cloth fibres made from synthetic fibres will not be given the status of being biodegradable. 

Biodegradation can be deciphered as the breakdown that is caused by the action of microbes. The microbes that cause biodegradation include bacteria, fungi, algae et cetera. 

These microbes break down the waste so that the waste is converted into simpler material. These simpler materials can then easily be assimilated into life systems such as nutrient cycles. 

What are cloth fibres made of?

As it turns out, cloth fibres are mainly made from two major types of fabric fibres. One is the natural fabric fibre and the other is the synthetic fabric fibre. 

Natural fabric fibres are those that are extracted from nature. Examples will include cotton, silk et cetera. 

Whereas, synthetic fibres are those that can be termed man-made and their examples will be rayon, viscose et cetera. It must be mentioned that there is a blatant use of chemicals in the latter case which makes synthetic fibres the least proximal to sustainability. 

Can you put used cloth fibres in the compost pile?

Only those cloth fibres can be added to the compost pile that is natural and organic. The major purpose of composting is to increase the organic content of the soil so that the said advantages may be enjoyed. 

Composting is the process of converting organic waste into compost. Compost has many advantages.

It can be used as a natural fertiliser. This can lead to advantages such as better production, more yield, and increased water retention profiles. 

It can be developed and deliberated that the case of composting and biodegradation are very similar. The rule of thumb here is that a material which is biodegradable can also be added to the compost pile. However, this is not the case in all cases. 

How to?

The what and why have been discussed. Let us, therefore, rummage on the how question. Below are some steps that you need yourself to be mindful of. 

  • Select a suitable place for composting 
  • The place should be accessible as well
  • Shred the compostable material into small pieces to improve the efficiency and yield of the composting process
  • Add dirt, if you like, as a boost of organic material 
  • Make alternate layers of green and brown material. There should be aerators at the start of the pile. 
  • Be sure to continuously mix up the pile so that there is proper aeration. 
  • Also be sure to provide the right external conditions such as pressure, sunlight, and aeration 
  • Mix up the pile every week 
  • The compost should be ready in 5-8 months

What to do with used cloth fibres?

As stated, the question that still remains is what to do with the small pieces of cloth fibres that we can call leftover material because discarding them will be a good waste of resources.

Therefore, let us explore some options that can be relied upon when it comes to the proper utilisation of leftover cloth fibres. The options include 

  • Composting 
  • Recycling centres 
  • Reusing 

Composting 

The first option that we have on board is adding the cloth fibres made from natural and organic sources into the compost pile. 

This will be a very good utilisation of sources and will also give a very good boost to the environment as well. 

However, you need to be certain the cloth fibres you plan on adding to the compost heap are made from natural materials and there are no synthetic agents involved such as chemicals or dyes. 

Recycling centres

You can also deliver the used or unused pieces of cloth fibres to the recycling centres. What may appear to you of no use may be highly beneficial to these centres because recycling centres can couple old cloth pieces with other leftover materials to make new cloth fibres and clothes. 

Therefore, to better utilise the used or unused cloth pieces, you need to locate nearby recycling centres and ask if they will accept cloth fibres. In most cases, there will be a yes. 

And also, there is no segregation between natural and synthetic fibres in this case as cloth fibres made from both natural and synthetic fibres can opt for recycling. 

Reusing 

To utilise cloth pieces, you do not necessarily need to steer to the composting or recycling centres. You can utilise the used or unused pieces of cloth fibres from the comfort of your home too. All you need to have is a reuse mindset and an innovative approach. 

If you have pieces of cloth fibres, there are several uses that can be taken from them such as using the cloth fibres as dusting material, to clean oil spills et cetera. 

You can also use spare pieces of cloth to give a fashionable look in your attires or to spare pieces of cloth fibres for various arts and crafts endeavours. 

Conclusion 

It is concluded that cloth fibres that are made from natural fibres will be biodegradable whereas cloth fibres made from synthetic fibres will not be given the status of being biodegradable. 

It can be developed and deliberated that the case of composting and biodegradation are very similar. The rule of thumb here is that a material which is biodegradable can also be added to the compost pile. However, this is not the case in all cases. 

Only those cloth fibres can be added to the compost pile that is natural and organic. The major purpose of composting is to increase the organic content of the soil so that the said advantages may be enjoyed.

The article also discussed other utilisation methods such as reusing and recycling. 

References

Leave a Comment