Color stripping of dyed textile waste

Abstract

The increasing accumulation of post-consumer textile waste (PCTW), driven by fast fashion trends and growing consumer demands, poses significant threats to environmental safety. This waste is difficult to recycle due to the persistent nature of synthetic dyes, which hinder fiber regeneration and reuse. Color stripping (CS), the process of removing dyes from fabrics, holds potential as an important solution to enhance the possibility of textile reusing/recycling. Chemical approaches, including oxidative and reductive methods, are widely applied for CS, but concerns about fiber degradation and the toxicity of effluents produced during the process remain substantial. Biological methods using fungal enzymes offer eco-friendly alternatives, but they are often limited by much slower reaction rates and higher costs. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and solvent-based techniques show promising potential for more efficient dye removal. This review provides an in-depth discussion of the recent advancements in CS technologies for dyed PCTW, focusing on the performance and influencing parameters of CS efficiency, such as time, temperature, pH, bleaching agent concentration, and dye types. Despite the progress in CS technologies, significant challenges remain, particularly in terms of optimizing efficiency and sustainability. This review also highlights future directions for developing more sustainable and efficient dye removal strategies, which are crucial for achieving closed-loop circularity in the textile industry and minimizing the environmental impact of textile waste.