Recycling of Low Grade Clothing Waste - Oakdene Hollins

© Oakdene Hollins Ltd, Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd
Nonwovens Innovation & Research Institute Ltd September 2006
The demand for replacement parts is being fuelled by increasing numbers
of cars on the UK roads. There are currently 30 million vehicles registered
in the UK and a report by Trend Tracker suggests this will rise further to
33.8 million by 2010.
The demand for enhanced comfort and improved safety in the automotive
sector will result in a significant increase in the use of textile materials in a
typical mid‐size car over the next five years from less than 21kg in 2005
(Table 25) to 26kg in 2010. Furthermore, by 2020 textile usage is predicted
to reach 35kg 73 .
Table 25: Textile usage in a mid-size car, 2005
Component
Weight (kg per car)
Carpets 4.5
Upholstery 3.5
Belts, tubes, tapes 1.6
Tyre cord 1.5
Safety belts 1.9
Airbags 1.2
Components 4.5
Others, including filters 2.2
Total
a Total based on the addition of rounded data.
Source: Saxony Textile Research Institute
20.9 a
The head‐liner is an integral part of the interior of the automobile. It
provides sound absorption and thermal insulation in the car ceiling, as well
as having an aesthetic function. Figure 27 shows a typical head‐liner and its
position within the car. Usually a textile composite structure, the headliners
are heat moulded into the required shape for the requisite model of
car. It is presently common practice to use recycled material within the
construction but face this with a virgin material in order to provide the
aesthetic properties. This lends itself well to the air‐laid technology
approach to impart additional functionality.
For Defra Page 118