Depolymerization of Polycotton-Blended Fabrics: Challenges and Opportunities

The rapid growth of the textile industry has led to a dramatic increase in fiber production and textile waste, with blended fabrics-particularly made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and cotton-dominating global markets. These blends combine the advantageous properties of synthetic and natural fibers but pose significant challenges for recycling due to their composite structure and the required, often harsh, treatments. Traditional mechanical recycling falls short in effectively separating these materials, often resulting in downcycling or material loss. In recent years, innovative chemical and enzymatic recycling strategies have emerged, offering selective depolymerization routes to recover high-purity monomers such as terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol from PET and glucose from cotton. These processes show promise for reintegration into polymer synthesis as well as valorization into bio-based product streams. This minireview critically evaluates current approaches to cotton/PET hydrolysis processes, highlighting recent advancements in pretreatment techniques and process integration.