Aligned with the circular economy framework, this study aims to address pertinent research gaps regarding material and chemical properties of clothing and suitability for closed-loop applications. Primary research questions include: (1) what are the material and chemical properties of post-consumer textile waste from a sustainable fashion take-back program; (2) which natural post-consumer textile waste is most suitable to support the growth of natural dye plants in a hydroponics system; and (3) can the use of post-consumer textile waste in a hydroponics system be scaled to support a circular fashion supply chain? This study focuses on wool, cotton, linen, silk, rayon, and Tencel ® lyocell as substrates to nurture the growth of purple basil, a natural dye plant. Vertical hydroponics is a farming method that uses nutrient water to grow plants in place of soil throughout the year. The system can be indoors, making resourceful use of limited space available and the water is recirculated. Standard hydroponic substrates, like peat moss and rockwool, have good porosity for oxygen transport and suitable moisture holding capacity for nutrient delivery. In this study, we compared the performance of the standard hydroponic substrates with various textiles. The impact on water quality, color release, moisture wicking, stability against degradation, and survival rate of the plants was used to evaluate suitability in the application. Wool, silk, and Tencel lyocell demonstrated good durability in the hydroponic system, like peat moss and rockwool, during the first growth cycle. During the second growth cycle, protein fibers—wool and silk—supported plant survival at a greater capacity than Tencel lyocell. Future research can confirm that wool and silk can support the growth of natural dye plants with a larger sample size. This research aligns with several circular economy objectives and provides a model for future research to support circular fashion supply chains.

Helen X Trejo

Nidia K Trejo

Tasha L Lewis

AATCC Journal of Research

AATCC 研究杂志。这本纺织品研究期刊的范围很广：从先进材料、纤维、纺织品和聚合物化学，到色彩科学、服装设计和可持续性。现在已被 SCIENCE CITATION INDEX EXTENDED (SCIE) 收录并可在 CLARIVATE ANALYTICS WEB OF SCIENCE 中找到核心收藏！期刊的影响因子可在 JOURNAL CITATION REPORTS 中找到。

The AATCC Journal of Research is a comprehensive textile research journal that covers a wide range of topics, including advanced materials, fibers, textile and polymer chemistry, color science, apparel design, and sustainability. The journal is currently indexed in the SCIENCE CITATION INDEX EXTENDED (SCIE) and can be found in the core collection of CLARIVATE ANALYTICS WEB OF SCIENCE. The journal's impact factor can be found in JOURNAL CITATION REPORTS.

AATCC Journal of Research 是一本涵盖广泛领域的纺织品研究期刊，内容涉及先进材料、纤维、纺织品和聚合物化学，以及色彩科学、服装设计和可持续性等主题。该期刊目前已被 SCIENCE CITATION INDEX EXTENDED (SCIE) 收录，并可在 CLARIVATE ANALYTICS WEB OF SCIENCE 的核心收藏中找到。期刊的影响因子可以在 JOURNAL CITATION REPORTS 中查询。

Category	Quartile
工程技术	4
工程技术, 材料科学纺织	4

Sustaining Natural Dye Plants with Post-Consumer Textile Waste

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
MATERIALS SCIENCE, TEXTILES	4