Abstract:

Recent concerns related to environmental protection, which are complexly combined with economic difficulties, have brought to the fore the global need to find solutions to ensure the resolution of these issues. The reuse of textile waste in the construction sector are solutions that address these tasks, contributing to the reduction of the ecological footprint of the construction sector, at the same time extending the life cycle of textiles and reducing the amount of waste generated, with positive influences in all subsequent aspects of waste disposal.

The purpose of this paper is to present the courses developed for Higher Education students about building insulation systems using ecological thermal insulation products, which have textile waste as the source of raw materials. If the educational process is accompanied by clear evidence, then its impact is significant. Therefore, the students are involved in the analysis of several insulation systems, to help comply with the values ​​imposed by international standards for energy consumption in buildings.

The thermal conductivities of the products are determined experimentally according to the ASTM E1225 standard, and the thermal resistances of the systems are evaluated using the provisions of the normative regulations in the field. The results show that the insulation systems produced with mattresses from textile waste have the thermal insulation properties necessary for the proposed destination. The nominated systems also mitigate the environmental threat posed by large amounts of textile waste, which become recycled raw materials instead of virgin raw materials and, at the same time, lead to an improvement in the environmental impact of the construction sector. Further comprehensive investigations of the proposed insulation systems that will highlight the ability of water retention, sound absorption, and fire resistance may also show new advantages and opportunities for textile waste.

The paper highlights the benefits of educating young people about the principles of sustainable development in the fields of both textiles and construction, where the major requirements are the simultaneous reduction of resource consumption and waste production, and is part of current global research that aims to reduce the direct and indirect impact of the textile and construction industry on the environment in two main directions: reducing carbon footprint and finding alternative solutions to the depletion of both renewable and non-renewable natural resources.

Keywords:

Reused textile waste,  thermal conductivity,  construction insulating systems,  textile recycling, heat equations.