From landfill to fertile ground: Local researchers transform textile waste into soil-enhancing biochar

Goodwill Industries partnering with Western and Fanshawe to turn clothing waste into material to help grow plants. CTV London’s Gerry Dewan reports

A groundbreaking collaboration between Western University and Fanshawe College is weaving a new future for discarded clothing, turning what was once destined for landfills into a valuable resource for agriculture.

Researchers are developing innovative methods to convert textile waste into biochar, a substance that they say can significantly improve soil health and boost crop yields.

The fashion industry’s environmental footprint is substantial, with vast quantities of clothing ending up in landfills each year. Jennifer Wright, a professor and researcher from Fanshawe’s Fashion Design program, has been a long-time advocate for solutions to this growing problem.

“We have a real problem with textile waste and the amount of clothing that we discard and put into landfill,” Wright stated.

Recognizing this challenge, her work at Fanshawe’s Centre for Research and Innovation has joined forces with Western’s Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR).

The innovative approach centres on a process called pyrolysis. Led by Professor Franco Berruti, Founding Director of ICFAR, researchers utilize extreme heat in the absence of oxygen to break down textile materials. This process separates the elements, yielding a charcoal-like substance known as biochar.

The potential applications for this textile-derived biochar are significant, particularly in agriculture. Greenhouse experiments conducted by Heejin Lee have yielded encouraging results.

“It helps the soil hold on to the water and nutrients better for the crops. And then also it gives habitat for the microbes,” Lee noted.

Her research indicates that plants can thrive with this biochar, demonstrating improved growth compared to soil without it. This transforms problematic waste into a value-added product that can actively benefit the environment.

Professor Franco Berruti emphasizes a fundamental shift in how we view waste.

“At the end of the day, we want to transform the concept of waste into a different way of thinking. Waste does not exist. It’s a resource for something else,” he said.

Beyond diverting materials from landfills and enhancing agricultural productivity, the process offers a crucial environmental benefit: Carbon sequestration.

“We are putting carbon back in the soil, and this is a carbon sequestration opportunity,” Berruti added.

This collaborative effort has also partnered with Goodwill Great Lakes, headquartered in London. Goodwill’s annual ‘Worn and Torn’ event encourages the public to donate even heavily soiled or damaged fabrics, preventing them from entering the waste stream. The research team plans to establish a test plot to further evaluate the biochar’s performance in real-world conditions.

With an eye toward scaling up their work, the researchers have applied for a federal grant, expressing confidence in the wider range of applications and potential commercial opportunities stemming from their innovative approach.