Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : The reality of Aramid fibres

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

The reality of Aramid fibres

0% biodegradable.

That's the harsh reality of aramid fibres like Kevlar, Nomex, and Conex. These materials are engineered to be virtually indestructible (which makes them amazing at protecting lives), but nature has zero ability to break them down.

Think about this: That old firefighting jacket sitting in a landfill isn't decomposing in a few years. It's not decomposing in a few decades. It's essentially a forever fibre, persisting in our environment indefinitely.

The Environmental Double-Hit:

Microfibre pollution: As aramid garments sit in landfills, they slowly fray into microscopic fibres that migrate into our soil and water systems. Just like microplastics, these aramid fragments persist indefinitely in our ecosystems.

Toxic disposal: When incinerated, these flame-resistant fibres (designed NOT to burn) release dangerous gases including carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. Add in the PFAS coatings used for water/oil resistance, and you've got a vicious contamination cocktail leaching from discarded gear.

The Cruel Irony:

The same properties that make aramid garments incredible at protecting firefighters, military personnel, and industrial workers in extreme conditions make them environmental nightmares at end-of-life.

Every retired FR coverall, every decommissioned military uniform, every worn-out firefighting suit becomes a permanent addition to our planet's pollution burden.

With 100,000+ tonnes of aramid fibre produced each year, and most end-of-life aramid garments still landfilled or incinerated, we’re creating mountains of ‘forever waste', with no natural exit strategy.

Who should bear responsibility for this forever waste: the manufacturers who make it, the organisations who buy it, or the waste companies who bury it?

source : Justin Norton

#Aramid #circulareconomy #kevlar