For ecological, economic, and health reasons, it is important to mechanically recycle waste acrylic fabrics originating from outdoor applications. These are not currently recycled due to the presence of harmful finishes on the waste fabrics, that interfere with the recycling process, reduce the quality of the recycled product, and pose health risks. Through a combination of confidential washing, hydrolysis and physical treatments, all the finishing chemicals on waste, outdoor acrylic fabrics can be removed by at least 90%, thus enabling the mechanical recycling process.