Part 2/11:
Textiles are complex mixtures of various materials such as cotton, polyester, spandex, nylon, and acrylic. When these garments are discarded, they do not simply decompose over time; instead, they often linger in landfills, releasing microplastics into the environment. A single pair of jeans left in a compost bin for a year might seem harmless, but it illustrates that many clothes are made from materials resistant to natural degradation. The diversity of fabric composition makes recycling a complicated process, as traditional methods struggle to efficiently separate and repurpose these mixed materials.