GB2607352A

GB2607352A - Process for manufacturing a solid product

Info

Publication number: GB2607352A
Application number: GB2108064.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Crawshaw Kenny; Graham Davis David
Original assignee: Avena Environmental Ltd
Current assignee: Avena Environmental Ltd
Priority date: 2021-06-04
Filing date: 2021-06-04
Publication date: 2022-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 2041-06-04
Also published as: GB202108064D0; GB2607352B

Abstract

A process for manufacturing a solid product comprising the steps of: (i) providing an outer lining of the solid product 2; (ii) optionally, placing the outer lining into a mould; (iii) putting at least partially shredded waste (a) textiles, (b) clothing and/or (c) footwear, and an adhesive into the outer lining 3; and (iv) allowing the adhesive to set and adhere to the at least partially shredded waste, and the outer lining, thereby creating the solid product. A solid product comprising an inner component comprising the at least partially shredded waste and an adhesive and an outer lining at least partially covering the inner component is further disclosed. The lining may comprise plastic, fibreglass, metal and/or wood and preferably may be UV resistant and/or water resistant. The adhesive binder may be polyurethane. The product may be a sleeper or a construction board or panel wherein plural products may be assembled to make furniture, partition walling, waste bin and/or cabinet.

Description

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A SOLID PRODUCT

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a novel process for manufacturing a solid product, and a solid product produced therefrom. In particular, and without loss of generality, the present invention relates to a novel process for manufacturing a solid product from at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear and an adhesive, and the solid product formed therefrom.

Background of the Invention

The listing or discussion of an apparently prior-published document in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge.

The textile, clothing and footwear industry is the second most polluting sector in the world, accounting for 100/o of the world's total carbon emissions, as well as causing other major ecological and sustainability concerns. It has been well-documented that a major factor shaping the industry is the current consumer desire for cheap clothes and short-lived fashion trends. Many garments may only be worn a small number of times before being discarded. Furthermore, it is undesirable for branded items such as work wear and military uniforms to be thrown into landfill sites as there is a risk of theft and consequent mis-use of said branding/uniforms. Consequently, the disposal of all these items leads to the generation of millions of tonnes of landfill waste and incinerated products each year. The incineration of textile, clothing and footwear waste or its decomposition in landfill leads to the release of toxic chemicals and greenhouse gases.

Several attempts have been made to reduce the amount of textile, clothing and footwear waste destined for landfill or incineration, including the education of consumers about the environmental damage caused by the fast fashion industry, the growth of sustainable fashion, and the increased promotion of recycling and/or reusing garments. Nevertheless, there remains a need for further reducing or avoiding the need to send textile, clothing and footwear waste to landfill or incineration, particularly by converting end-of-life textile, clothing and footwear waste into useful products. 1.

There remains a need for an improved process for manufacturing a solid product from textiles and/or clothing and/or footwear. In particular, there remains a need for a process which is more efficient, economical and/or safer than existing processes and which produces a more versatile solid product, which in turn will also decrease the amount of waste textile and/or clothing and/or footwear incinerated or sent to landfill reducing environmental pollution.

Summary of the Invention

The inventors have solved the problems of the prior art and created a new and improved process to manufacture a solid product from textiles and/or clothing and/or footwear.

As such, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a process of manufacturing a solid product, comprising the steps of: (i) Providing an outer lining of the solid product; (ii) Optionally, placing the outer lining into a mould; (iii) Putting at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear, and an adhesive into the outer lining; and (iv) Allowing the adhesive to set and adhere to the at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear and the outer lining, thereby creating the solid product.

The invention also provides a solid product comprising: a) An inner component comprising at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear and an adhesive; and b) An outer lining at least partially covering the inner component.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1: shows a garden sleeper (1) formed by the process of the invention.

Figure 2: shows the cross-section view along line A of the garden sleeper (1) in Figure 1. Figure 3: shows a planar board panel (4) formed by the process of the invention.

Figure 4: shows the cross-section view along line B of the planar board panel (4) in Figure 3.

Figure 5: shows a planar board panel (5) formed by the process of the invention.

Figure 6: shows the cross-section view along line C of the planar board panel (5) in Figure 5.

Detailed Description of the Invention

For the avoidance of doubt, the skilled person will understand that references herein to particular aspects of the invention (such as the first aspect of the invention, i.e. referring to the process for manufacturing the solid product defined in the first aspect of the invention) will include references to all embodiments and particular features thereof, which embodiments and particular features may be taken in combination to form further embodiments and features of the invention.

Unless indicated otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein will have their common meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

As used herein, the term "comprises" will take its usual meaning in the art, namely indicating that the component includes but is not limited to the relevant features (i.e. including, among other things). As such, the term "comprises" will include references to the component consisting essentially of the relevant features. As used herein, the term "consists essentially or will refer to the relevant component being formed of at least 80°/o (e.g. at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95%, such as at least 99%) of the relevant features, according to the relevant measure (e.g. by weight thereof).

For the avoidance of doubt, the steps (i) to (iv) in the first aspect of the invention are carried out in the stated order.

Herein after the component "at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear" will be referred to as the "shredded material".

In step (i) of the first aspect of the invention, an outer lining of the solid product is provided. The outer lining functions as a mould for the shredded material and adhesive which is added in step (iii). This is advantageous because moulding is a particularly effective means of controlling the shape that the shredded material and adhesive sets into and the shape of at least one face of the final solid product. Furthermore, by using the outer lining as a mould, in some processes it may not be critical that a separate mould be provided. However, as discussed below, in some processes, there may be advantages to additionally using a separate mould to support the outer lining.

The outer lining is not limited in its shape. In some processes, the outer lining is planar or substantially planar, and so defines only one face of the solid product. In other processes, the outer lining is concave or otherwise defines a cavity, and so may define several faces of the solid product.

Due to the adhesion of the shredded material and adhesive to the outer lining in step (iv), the outer lining also forms part of the final solid product. This is particularly advantageous because the outer lining simultaneously functions as a mould and the exterior surface of (at least a part of) the solid product. This therefore prevents the need for separation of the set shredded material, and adhesive from the outer lining, which would otherwise be difficult and could result in the compromise of the integrity of the solid product. Furthermore, the outer lining provides additional strength to the overall structure of the solid product.

A further benefit of the outer lining is that it allows control of the exterior properties of the solid product as desired for the final application of the product. This is achieved by the use of different materials in the outer lining. Such properties include, for example, water resistance, UV resistance, hardness, visual appearance and patterning, surface texturing or smoothness. Such properties also include the ability to accept paint, plaster, adhesive, or the like. The outer lining may be selected for aesthetic purposes, for example to look like wood. A major advantage of the customisability of the exterior properties of the solid product is that it maximises the range of uses and applications that the solid product produced by the process of the invention may be beneficial in. This in turn maximises the potential for use of the textile, clothing and footwear in the process of the invention, thereby preventing it from being destined for landfill or incineration. Accordingly, the customisability of the exterior properties of the solid product afforded by the process of the invention leads to enhanced environmental benefit.

It is envisaged that the material used for the outer lining is not particularly limited, provided that it provides the desired exterior properties for the solid product (which in turn depend on the intended final application), and can be adhered to the textile and adhesive. However, in particular embodiments, the outer lining comprises plastic, fibreglass, metal and/or wood.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the outer lining comprises or consists essentially of wood, such as ply wood, laminate or medium density fibreboard (MDF).

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the outer lining comprises or consists essentially of reinforced plastic, such as fibreglass.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the outer lining comprises or consists essentially of metal, such as steel, aluminium or copper.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the outer lining comprises or consists essentially of plastic, preferably a thermoformable plastic. Particular thermoformable plastics that may be used in the process include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), gloss white PVC, acrylic, polypropylene, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

The use of thermoformable plastic is especially preferred in the present invention due to the ease with which it may be formed into different shapes and different thicknesses.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the outer lining has a thickness of from 0.001 mm to 10 mm, preferably 0.005 mm to 8 mm, more preferably 0.01 mm to 5 mm, most preferably 0.05 mm to 3.5 mm, such as 0.1 mm to 2.5 mm. Suitably the outer lining has a thickness of from 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm or 1.5 mm to 2.5 MM.

The outer lining may be provided pre-formed or may be manufactured as part of the process of the invention. In other words, particular processes that may be mentioned comprise a step, prior to step (i), of manufacturing an outer lining of the solid product.

In embodiments where the outer lining is manufactured as part of the process of the invention, the outer lining may be manufactured from a sheet, for example by vacuum forming, thermoforming, gluing or welding, preferably vacuum forming.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which step (ii) is mandatory, namely that the process includes the step of placing the outer lining into a mould before the step of putting the shredded material, and the adhesive into the outer lining.

In such processes, the mould may match the shape of the outer lining, thereby supporting the outer lining. This is particularly preferred when the outer liner is made from a thin and/or weak material (such as a thermoformable plastic) which might otherwise break, crack and/or otherwise be damaged under the weight of the shredded material and an adhesive when they are added thereto. Indeed, the use of a mould allows the use of an outer liner which is weaker, thinner and/or made of less material than would be possible if the outer lining needed to support the mass of the shredded material and adhesive on its own. In addition, where the outer lining is planar, the mould acts to define the cross-section of the solid product; in other words, it contains the shredded material and adhesive prior to it setting in circumstances when the outer lining does not define a cavity.

In step (iii) of the invention, shredded material, and an adhesive is put into the outer lining. The shredded material, and the adhesive may be added as a pre-formed mixture. In other words, particular processes that may be mentioned comprise as step (Hi), the addition of a pre-formed mixture of the shredded material and an adhesive into the outer liner.

Alternatively, the shredded material, and the adhesive may be added as a mixture which is manufactured as part of the process of the invention. Accordingly, particular processes that may be mentioned comprise a step prior to step (iii), of mixing shredded material and an adhesive to form a mixture. The mixture of the shredded material and the adhesive is then added in step (iii) into the outer lining.

Alternatively, the shredded material and the adhesive may be added separately to the outer lining. Accordingly, particular processes that may be mentioned comprise adding in step (iii) shredded material and an adhesive as separate, unmixed components into the outer lining. The shredded material, and the adhesive may be added simultaneously to the outer lining, or may each be added into the outer lining sequentially to form two or more layers, preferably three or more layers, such as four or more layers. The textile and the adhesive may then be mixed in the outer lining, for example by mechanical agitation.

In particular processes that may be mentioned, the amount of the shredded material and the adhesive that is put into the outer lining is adequate to fill at least 50%, preferably at least 75%, more preferably at least 90%, even more preferably at least 95%, such as at least 99% of the volume of the cavity of the outer lining and/or the mould when used.

By textile, it is meant a flexible material made by creating an interlocking network of yarns or threads, which are produced by spinning raw fibres (from either natural or synthetic sources) into long and twisted lengths, and then weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, tatting, felting, bonding, or braiding these yarns together.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the textile comprises at least one material selected from an animal source (such as wool or silk), a plant source (such as cotton, flax, jute or bamboo), a mineral source (such as asbestos, or glass fibre), or a synthetic source (such as nylon, polyester, acrylic or rayon). In other words, the textile may comprise at least one material selected from wool, silk, cotton, flax, jute, bamboo, asbestos, glass fibre, nylon, polyester, acrylic or rayon; preferably wool, silk, cotton, nylon, polyester, acrylic or rayon.

When the textile comprises multiple materials, the multiple materials may be present as part of the same textile (for example, the textile may be an interlocking network of yarns or threads of different materials) or as part of different pieces of textile (for example, the textile is present as a plurality of pieces, some pieces being made of a particular material and other pieces being made of a different material).

Suitably the "textile" includes household items that may take a sheet form, including but not limited to items such as a blanket, bed sheet, duvet, pillow/cushion cases, curtain, and/or a towel. Textile also includes pieces of raw material. Raw materials are understood by the skilled person to be materials used in the primary production or manufacturing of goods. In a preferred embodiment, the raw materials are for the manufacture of clothing and/or the household items listed above, and/or footwear, preferably clothing.

"Clothing" are items worn on the body, typically made of fabrics or textiles or animal skin or other thin sheets of materials put together. Clothing includes but is not limited to items such as jumpers, shirts, trousers, socks, underwear, dresses, waistcoats, vests, shorts, skirts, hosiery, gloves, coats, gilets, cardigans, scarves, personal protective equipment such as, but not limited to, coveralls, boiler suits, masks, aprons, and/or other items of clothing. Clothing also encompasses handbags, purses and belts.

"Footwear" are outer covering garments worn on the feet. Footwear includes but is not limited to items such as shoes, sandals, boots, and/or slippers.

In one aspect, the shredded material comprises a textile, suitably consists essentially of a textile. Alternatively, the shredded material comprises clothing, suitably consists essentially of clothing. Alternatively, the shredded material comprises footwear, suitably consists essentially of footwear. Alternatively, the shredded material may comprise, such as consists essentially of, any combination thereof, such as a i) textile and clothing, H) clothing and footwear, iii) textile and footwear, or iv) textile and clothing and footwear.

"Shredded" is a well-known term that means "torn or cut into pieces". Shredding is typically done by industrial machines such as, but not limited to, cross-cut shredders, for example Ulster shredders (U-45, U-150). Shredding allows for a larger surface area of the material to be covered by the adhesive and thus manufactures a stronger solid product. In one aspect, the at least partially shredded material may be entirely shredded, i.e. 1000/0 of the material is shredded. Suitably the shredded material may be a plurality of strips each having a length which is greater than its width by at least 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9-fold; and/or preferably having a width of 1 to 80 mm, 2 to 50 mm, 3 to 40 mm, 5 to 30 mm, or most preferably 5 to 25 mm, such as about 22 mm. Alternatively or additionally, the shredded material may be in pieces having a cross-sectional area of its largest face of less than 20 cm2, less 10 cm2, less than 8 cm2, less than 6 cm2, less than 4 cm2, less than 2 cm2, less than 1 cm2, less than 0.5 cm2, or less than 0.1 cm2.

The shredded material may be pre-formed or may be manufactured from one or more larger pieces of (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear as part of the process of the invention. In other words, particular processes that may be mentioned comprise a step prior to step (iii) of shredding (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear, to form shredded material.

By adhesive, it is meant any non-metallic substance that when applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items binds them together and resists their separation. After the application, an adhesive sets, dries, hardens and/or cures.

In the process of the invention, it is important that the adhesive is put into the outer lining with the shredded material before the adhesive has dried, hardened and/or cured, to ensure that the adhesive can adhere to the shredded material and to the outer lining.

In particular processes that may be mentioned, the adhesive may be selected from polyurethane, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile, acrylic, cyanoacrylate, polyamide and ethylene-vinyl acetate. It is preferred that the adhesive is polyurethane or any other adhesive which expands when it sets, dries, and/or cures because the expansion of such adhesives fills any voids between the outer lining and textile, thereby providing a solid product substantially free from voids, which is stronger and with a more uniform internal structure.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the weight ratio of shredded material to adhesive is between 10:1 and 1:1, preferably 5:1 and 1:1, more preferably 3:1 and 1:1, for example the ratio is about 2:1. It has been found that a weight ratio of shredded material to adhesive of about 2:1 provides the optimum balance between maximising the strength of the solid product and utilising the maximum amount of shredded material, which leads to the greatest environmental and economic benefit.

Alternative processes that may be mentioned include those in which the weight ratio of shredded material to adhesive is between 1:10 and 1:1, preferably 1:5 and 1:1, more preferably 1:3 and 1:1, for example the weight ratio is about 1:2 It has been found that a weight ratio of shredded material to adhesive of about 1:2 provides a solid product with increased strength. This is particularly useful when the final solid product requires the highest level of strength possible.

Because the adhesive dries hard within the cavity adhering to the outer lining and the shredded material, they stay within the cavity. Thus, the outer lining is not required on the open face through which the shredded material and the adhesive were put through into the outer lining. However, in particular processes that may be mentioned, after the shredded material and an adhesive is put into the outer lining, the outer lining and/or, the mould, if present, is closed. The outer lining may be closed by applying, for example, a further piece of the outer lining material in the form of a sheet over the opening of the outer lining. The mould may be closed by applying, for example, a further piece of mould over the opening of the mould. In each case, the further piece may be clamped or otherwise secured, for example to resist any expansion of the adhesive during the setting process.

In step (iv) of the first aspect of the invention, the shredded material, and an adhesive is allowed to set and adheres to the shredded material and the outer lining, thereby forming the solid product.

By "set", it is meant that the adhesive dries, cures and/or hardens to reach essentially its full strength.

When it is said that the adhesive "adheres to" the shredded material, and to the outer lining, it is meant that the adhesive acts to bind together the shredded material and the outer lining, and resists their separation.

Particular processes that may be mentioned further comprise a step (v) (i.e. after the step of allowing the adhesive to set and adhere to the shredded material, and the outer lining, thereby creating the solid product, of removing the created solid product out of the mould.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the outer lining (such as the outer face i.e. the surface not facing the shredded material and adhesive) is UV resistant. By "UV resistant", it is meant is the ability of the material of the outer lining to withstand the degradation that can be caused by exposure to ultraviolet light. Suitable UV resistant plastics that can be used in the outer lining include, but are not limited to, acrylic, polycarbonate, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polyetherimide and Polyphenylene Sulfide. Increased UV resistance can be further achieved by adding additives, such as UV stabilisers, to the outer lining material.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the outer lining is water resistant. By "water resistant", it is meant able to resist the penetration of water to some degree but not entirely.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the outer lining is water-repellent. By "water-repellent", it is meant not easily penetrated by water.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the outer lining is waterproof. By "waterproof", it is meant impervious to water. i.e. it does not allow water to pass through.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the outer lining is strong and/or rigid. By "strong", it is meant able to withstand force, pressure, or wear, for example the outer lining. By "rigid", it is meant resistant to bend or be forced out of shape; not flexible.

Particular processes that may be mentioned include those in which the solid product manufactured by the process is a board, or an elongate product having a circular or polygonal cross-section, such as a square, rectangular, or triangular cross-section. By "elongate", we mean that the dimension of the longest dimension of the solid product is at least 1.5 times, 2 times, 3 times, 5 times, or 10 times that of the second largest dimension.

The solid product is typically strong and rigid hence may be useful as a replacement or substitute for indoors or outdoors wood-based or plastic-based products. Outdoor products include but are not limited to fence posts and panels and garden furniture, or existing construction products, since the solid product is not susceptible to rot or degrade like conventional wood or plastic based products. Indoor products include but are not limited to panels such as for making waste bins. The use of the solid product as a replacement or substitute for these other products is possible due to the ability to manufacture the solid to have comparable or, as discussed, improved properties to the product-to-be-replaced, and may be particularly environmentally advantageous when the solid product is manufactured from textile and/or clothing and/or footwear waste which would otherwise be destined for disposal by landfill or incineration.

Several of the solid products formed by the first aspect of the invention may be assembled to form a composite structure, such as an item of furniture, partition walling, waste bins or cabinets. The ability to use different outer linings in the process of the first aspect of the invention means that the exterior properties of the formed solid product may be customised to the end application.

Accordingly, in a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a process for manufacturing a composite structure comprising the steps of the first aspect of the invention (including all embodiments thereof) and further comprising the step of assembling a plurality of the solid products to provide the composite structure. By "plurality", it is meant two or more.

In particular processes that may be mentioned, the composite structure is an item of furniture, partition walling, waste bin or a cabinet.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a solid product obtained by the process described in the first aspect of the invention (including all embodiments thereof) or a composite structure obtained by the process described in the second aspect of the invention (including all embodiments thereof).

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a solid product comprising: a) An inner component comprising at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear and an adhesive; and b) An outer lining at least partially covering the inner component; The solid product may have all of the embodiments described in the first aspect of the invention relating to the manufactured solid product.

Suitably the outer lining of the solid product covers at least 50% of the inner component, preferably at least 600/a, more preferably at least 700/a, most preferably at least 800/c, such as at least 90%. In one aspect the outer lining covers the entirety of the inner component.

There remains a need in the art for reducing or avoiding the need to send textile/clothing/footwear waste to landfill. The present invention allows end-of-life textile/clothing/footwear waste, especially unwanted garments, to be recycled by converting it into useful products.

Accordingly, in a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of recycling (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear, comprising the steps of: (I) Providing an outer lining; (II) Optionally, placing the outer lining into a mould; (III) Putting at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear and an adhesive into the outer lining; and (IV) Allowing the adhesive to set and adhere to the at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear, and the outer lining, thereby creating the solid product.

The method of the fifth aspect of the invention may be combined with any or all of the embodiments (including particular features thereof) of the first aspect of the invention.

Examples

The present invention will be further described by reference to the following examples, which are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Example 1 -Process to make a Solid Product being that of a Decorative Garden Sleeper 1) Clothing materials including garments such as shirts, jumpers, trousers were shredded by processing through a cross-cut shredding machine.

2) A pre-formed thermoformable PVC plastic 'outer lining' was inserted into a mould that matches the shape of the outer lining. In this instance the outer lining was a walnut wood-effect vacuum-formed shape to the size 1500mm x 350mm x 150mm. The thickness of the outer lining was 0.05 mm.

3) Polyurethane adhesive was mixed with the shredded materials (outside of the mould and the outer lining) forming a sticky pliable mixture ready to be inserted into the outer lining. The weight ratio of 1:2 of adhesive to shredded materials was used.

4) The shredded materials and adhesive mixture were then inserted into the outer lining, filling the outer lining to the top and then closing it with a sheet made from the same material and the same thickness as the outer lining. The sheet was completely sealed to the outer lining and shredded materials and adhesive mixture by applying a degree of pressure and/or by fixing/securing the sheet to the outer lining (such as by using a clamp) to ensure that whilst the adhesive 'set' (and thus expanded) the outer lining was not forced open under this chemical reaction.

5) The product was left to dry and set within the mould whilst closed, at room temperature.

6) Once set -8-10hrs, the solid product (consisting of the outer lining (2) and the mixture of shredded materials and adhesive (3) adhered to it) was then taken out of the mould providing the usable Decorative Garden Sleeper (1) as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 (cross-section view along line A in Figure 1).

Example 2 -Process to make a Planar Board Product 1) Clothing materials such as shirts, jumpers and trousers were broken down by processing through the cross-cut shredding machinery.

2) The pre-formed 'outer lining' was inserted into a mould that matches the shape of the outer lining. In this instance the outer lining was a plain white gloss-faced fiberglass or thermoformable gloss white PVC plastic (vacuum-formed) shape to the size 900mm x 500mm x 20mm. The thickness of the outer lining was 2 mm.

3) Polyurethane adhesive was then spread on the inside of the outer lining and some of the shredded material was then added on top of the adhesive as a first layer and agitated with the adhesive.

4) More adhesive was then added onto the first layer of shredded material and further adhesive was added and agitated accordingly, using a weight ratio of 1:2 of adhesive to shredded material. This process continued until the outer lining was full of the shredded material and adhesive.

5) The mould was then closed using a lid, completely sealed by applying a degree of pressure or fixing/securing, to ensure that whilst the adhesive 'set' (and thus expands) the mould is not forced open under this chemical reaction.

6) The product was left to dry and set within the mould whilst closed, at room temperature.

7) Once set -8-10hrs, the mould was then released and the solid product (consisting of the outer lining (2) and the mix of shredded materials and adhesive (3) adhered to it) was then taken out providing the usable Planar Board Product (4) as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4 (cross-section view along line B in Figure 3).

Several of the planar board products can then be assembled together to form structures such as a waste bin or cabinet. When using the Planar Board Product in this instance i.e. with a face without the outer lining, the face without the outer lining faces inside the subsequently manufactured structure so the outer lining is on the outside and visible to users.

Example 3 -Planar Board Product The process is the same as that in Example 2 except in step 5 the outer lining is closed with a sheet of outer lining to fully encapsulate the panel with the outer lining. This is useful when end users would like the look of the inside of the manufactured structure to match the outside. The Planar Board Product (5) manufactured is shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 (cross-section view along line C in Figure 5).

Claims

Claims 1) A process of manufacturing a solid product, comprising the steps of: i) Providing an outer lining of the solid product; ii) Optionally, placing the outer lining into a mould; iii) Putting at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear and an adhesive into the outer lining; and iv) Allowing the adhesive to set and adhere to the at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear, and the outer lining, thereby creating the solid product.
2) The process of claim 1 wherein the outer lining comprises plastic, fibreglass, metal and/or wood.
3) The process of claim 2 wherein the plastic is a thermoformable plastic, preferably the thermoformable plastic is selected from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), gloss white PVC, acrylic, polypropylene, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).
4) The process of claim 2 wherein the metal is selected from steel, aluminium, and copper 5) The process of claim 2 wherein the wood is selected from plywood, laminate, and medium density fibreboard.6) The process of any preceding claim wherein the outer lining has a thickness of from 0.001 mm to 10 mm, preferably 0.005 mm to 8 mm, more preferably 0.01 mm to 5 mm, most preferably 0.05 mm to 3.5 mm, such as 0.1 mm to 2.5 mm.7) The process of any preceding claim further comprising the step of manufacturing the outer lining, preferably wherein the outer lining is manufactured from a sheet, such as by vacuum forming, thermoforming, gluing or welding.8) The process of any preceding claim wherein the mould matches the shape of the outer lining.9) The process of any preceding claim wherein the at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear is entirely shredded.10) The process of any preceding claim wherein the adhesive is selected from polyurethane, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile, acrylic, cyanoacrylate, polyamide and ethylene-vinyl acetate, preferably polyurethane.11) The process of any preceding claim wherein the weight ratio of the at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear to adhesive in the mixture is between 10:1 and 1:5, preferably 5:1 and 1:3, more preferably 3:1 and 1:1, for example the weight ratio is about 2:1.12) The process of any preceding claim wherein the mould and/or outer lining is closed after putting the at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear and the adhesive into the outer lining, preferably by securing a further piece of outer lining and/or a further piece of mould over the opening of the outer lining and/or the mould.13) The process of any preceding claim further comprising a step (v) of removing the created solid product out of the mould.14) The process of any preceding claim wherein the outer lining is UV resistant and/or water resistant and/or strong and/or rigid.15) The process of any preceding claim wherein the solid product is a board, or an elongate product having a circular or polygonal cross-section, such as a square, rectangular, or triangular cross-section.16) The process of any preceding claim wherein the at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear comprises a textile.17) The process of any preceding claim wherein the at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear comprises clothing.18) The process of any preceding claim wherein the at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear comprises footwear.19) A process for manufacturing a composite structure comprising the steps of: a. The process of manufacturing a solid product as defined in any of claims 1 to 18; and b. Assembling a plurality of the solid products to provide the composite structure.20) The process of claim 19 wherein the composite structure is furniture, partition walling, a waste bin or a cabinet.21) A solid product or composite structure obtained by the process described in any one of claims 1 to 20.22) A solid product comprising: c) An inner component comprising at least partially shredded (a) a textile, and/or (b) clothing, and/or (c) footwear and an adhesive; and d) An outer lining at least partially covering the inner component.23) The solid product of claim 22 having any of the features described in claims 2 to 6, 9 to 11, or 14 to 18.24) The solid product of claim 22 or 23 wherein the outer lining covers at least 500!o of the inner component, preferably at least 60%, more preferably at least 70%, most preferably at least 80%.