article published yes Nika Depope author Al Depope author 0b77531d-dbcd-11ea-9d1d-a8eee0bf3830 Vasiliki Maria Archodoulaki author Wolfgang Ipsmiller author Andreas Bartl author MaRo department Global fibre production has expanded rapidly, with polyester and cotton dominating, significantly contributing to textile waste and increasing demand for sustainable solutions. This study presents innovative method to recycle polyester/cotton (PET/CO) blends using hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs), eliminating the need for toxic chemicals while achieving high dissolution yields. PET was completely dissolved within 5 min, substantially outperforming state-of-the-art methods and facilitating the efficient and selective recovery of both components, PET (97%) and CO (100%). SEM imaging confirmed no morphological changes in cotton fibres after treatment. The thermal stability of the recovered materials was validated using DSC and TGA analyses, while ATR-FTIR spectroscopy indicated no chemical changes. Mechanical testing confirmed recovered cotton’s tenacity and elongation are within expected ranges despite showing a decrease of 28% in tenacity and 34% in elongation. Hence, the proposed process provides an efficient and sustainable recycling solution for PET/CO blends, retaining both polymers in a condition similar to virgin materials used in textile manufacturing with minimal processing time. https://research-explorer.ista.ac.at/download/20491/20501/2025_WasteMgmt_Depope.pdf application/pdfno https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Elsevier2025 eng 0956-053X 1879-2456 41066876 00159462920000310.1016/j.wasman.2025.115177 208 Depope, N., Depope, A., Archodoulaki, V. M., Ipsmiller, W., &#38; Bartl, A. (2025). Deep eutectic solvent as a solution for polyester/cotton textile recycling. <i>Waste Management</i>. Elsevier. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115177">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115177</a> Depope, Nika, Al Depope, Vasiliki Maria Archodoulaki, Wolfgang Ipsmiller, and Andreas Bartl. “Deep Eutectic Solvent as a Solution for Polyester/Cotton Textile Recycling.” <i>Waste Management</i>. Elsevier, 2025. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115177">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115177</a>. Depope N, Depope A, Archodoulaki VM, Ipsmiller W, Bartl A. Deep eutectic solvent as a solution for polyester/cotton textile recycling. <i>Waste Management</i>. 2025;208. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115177">10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115177</a> N. Depope, A. Depope, V. M. Archodoulaki, W. Ipsmiller, and A. Bartl, “Deep eutectic solvent as a solution for polyester/cotton textile recycling,” <i>Waste Management</i>, vol. 208. Elsevier, 2025. N. Depope, A. Depope, V.M. Archodoulaki, W. Ipsmiller, A. Bartl, Waste Management 208 (2025). Depope N, Depope A, Archodoulaki VM, Ipsmiller W, Bartl A. 2025. Deep eutectic solvent as a solution for polyester/cotton textile recycling. Waste Management. 208, 115177. Depope, Nika, et al. “Deep Eutectic Solvent as a Solution for Polyester/Cotton Textile Recycling.” <i>Waste Management</i>, vol. 208, 115177, Elsevier, 2025, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115177">10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115177</a>. 204912025-10-19T22:01:31Z2025-12-01T12:58:17Z