Textile consumption has risen dramatically, with garment production doubling between 2000 and 2021, and expected to reach 149 million tons by 2030, contributing to the growth of textile waste. EU regulations, set to take effect in 2025, will require the recovery of textile waste to prevent it from ending up in landfills or incinerators. The most common method for textile recycling is mechanical shredding, in which textiles are broken down into fibres and re-spuned into new yarns. Due to its high stretchability, the presence of elastane in textile materials can make mechanical recycling impractical because it might cause blockages and contamination of the equipment. To improve mechanical recycling efficiency, it is crucial to remove elastane from textile blends or reduce its elasticity. Selective dissolution of elastane is the most common method. However, this poses several challenges namely environmental toxicity, health risks, limited selectivity, high costs, regulatory compliance, and potential damage to the remaining fibres. In order to avoid the use of organic solvents for removing elastane from textiles, this study investigates ecological methods for degrading elastane in wool-polyester-elastane blended yarns, derived from industrial waste. Exhaustion methods at 90 ℃, using water-based solutions (sodium hydroxide 3M, acetic acid 3M, hydrogen peroxide 9% (v/v), sodium chloride 9% (m/v) and calcium chloride 9% (m/v), are tested to reduce the elasticity of the elastane and, consequently, facilitate the shredding process. Moreover, the impact of these treatments on the remaining fibres (wool and polyester) was also evaluated. To confirm the degradation of the elastane fibres and the effect in the other fibres, mechanical tests were performed to determine the breaking force, elongation and cyclic loading. The chemical modifications were assessed by ATR-FTIR and TGA, and the morphology of the fibres was evaluated by SEM. Thus, it was possible to infer that elastane degradation with acetic acid was the most successful treatment, since the elastic recovery was compromised with the lowest impact on the remaining fibres. This research provides a pathway towards more sustainable textile recycling processes, reducing waste and contributing to circular economy goals within the textile industry.