From Plastic Waste to Sustainable Textiles: Innovative Development of Hybrid Woven Structures Using Recycled Bottles and Kenaf Yarns

Abstract

Plastic pollution is a critical environment issue, with significant plastic waste contaminating soil, oceans, and the atmosphere, posing serious health risks. Kibria et al., (2023) emphasize the need for innovative solutions to manage plastic waste. This research analyzes the relationship between textile structure and the physical and mechanical characteristics of plastic bottle yarn and kenaf yarn textiles. Three weave structures—plain weave, twill 2/2, and twill 3/1—were tested by their tensile strength, percentage crimp, weight, and thickness. A control sample made entirely of kenaf yarn was also subjected to analysis for comparison. The statistics were used to analyze the data in order to determine the correlations among these variables. The findings indicate that fabric structure significantly influences mechanical performance. The twill 3/1 weave had the highest thickness (3.84 mm) and weight (8.021 g/cm²) and is therefore the strongest, while the plain weave had the lowest thickness (2.85 mm) and weight (6.544 g/cm²) and is therefore most appropriate for lightweight applications. Tensile strength tests confirmed that twill 3/1 weaving structure was more effective than the other structures. Additionally, percentage crimp differed, with higher percentage crimp in the control sample (100% kenaf) and better dimension stability for fabrics with plastic bottle yarn. These results affirm the influence of fabric construction to determine performance as well as durability. The study also establishes the economic and environmental worth of plastic bottle yarn in sustainable textile production. For example, in Bangladesh, which is becoming a top manufacturer of recycled yarn and fabrics. Future research should examine larger populations and advanced testing methods to further optimize recycled textile applications.