A method of creating an abraded garment without use of potassium permanganate. The method comprises the steps of providing a denim fabric made from yarns having a white core at least 65% of the cross-sectional area of the yarn with the core exhibiting a whiteness that is more white than blue on the Commission Internationale De L'Elcairage (CIE) chromaticity scale, forming the fabric into a denim garment, abrading the unwashed garment to achieve a worn look effect on the garment, washing the garment in a sequence of different types of wash steps to achieve a desired shade and/or look, extracting the water, and drying the garment.

A process of treatment of waste blend textiles comprising polyester fibers and cotton fibres depolymerizes polyester in a controlled environment to obtain treated textile comprising cotton staple fibers suitable to be recycled into cotton yarns.