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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 67150

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ting Chi

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Guest Editor

Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
Interests: sustainability and sustainable development; firms’ strategic and supply chain management; corporate social responsibility and consumer environmentalism; multi-channel retailing and electronic commerce; product/technology life cycle analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Babu John-Mariadoss

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Guest Editor

Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Interests: B2B relationships; firm strategic orientations; firm sustainable orientation; sustainable product design; corporate social responsibility; sustainable marketing; green marketing; sales strategy; brand identity; international marketing; marketing and well-being; innovation; organizational mindsets; dei in marketing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Businesses and consumers are currently facing unprecedented sustainability challenges; hence, sustainable development requires disruptive changes in the way our businesses and consumers act. The concept of circular economy presents a new model of design, production, consumption and disposal, which aims at tackling global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, pollution, and inequity. The circular economy model offers a new approach of technological innovation and integration between natural ecosystems, business operations, our daily lives, and waste management. Innovative technologies can help businesses lead the transition to an inclusive, circular economy faster and more efficiently and empower consumers to be more responsible contributors. Many companies, such as Patagonia, Adidas, Nike, and Allbirds are already leveraging these newer technologies to design waste and pollution out of their supply chains while keeping products and materials in use to create positive economic, environmental, and societal impact. Meanwhile, a prominent movement in consumer environmentalism has been emerging, as consumers have started to demand accountable businesses and sustainable products.

Although the number of studies focusing on circular economy, and the impact of technological innovation on business and consumer sustainability has been increasing in recent years, our knowledge on these topics is still far from satisfactory, given rapid developments in the field. The purpose of this Special Issue is to facilitate an in-depth discussion on circular economy and technological innovation as a path toward sustainability and provide a forum for researchers in this area to disseminate research findings that can shed light on these critical issues. While the Special Issue is open to empirical research articles that offer theoretical and practical contributions to the areas of interest based on varied research methods, viz., qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods, conceptual articles are also welcome.

We solicit both original research articles and reviews for submission to the Special Issue. Research topics may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Circular economy;
Technological innovation toward sustainability;
Sustainable production and consumption;
Sustainable supply chain management;
The impact of COVID-19 on sustainable development;
Waste management;
Recycling and upcycling;
Consumer environmentalism;
Sharing economy;
Collaborative consumption.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Ting Chi
Dr. Babu John-Mariadoss
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 317 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Circular Economy Transition in Australia: Nuanced Circular Intermediary Accounts of Mainstream Green Growth Claims

by Gavin Melles

Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14160; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914160 - 25 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2961

Abstract

Australia has recently declared its commitment to a Circular Economy. Policy and initiatives to date have focused on recycling and waste management and research to date has highlighted the need for more ambitious policy, clearer definitions, collaboration, and consensus on goals. There are also calls from some government and non-business sectors for more inclusive, circular models, including Doughnut Economics. In the context of a competing mainstream Circular Economy and inclusive circular society discourses, circular intermediary organizations and their representatives are key to achieving change. Compared to the green growth business narrative of policy and industry media, intermediary representatives are aware of the diversity of challenges and solutions for Australia. Based on semi-structured interviews with twenty representatives of circular intermediaries in Australia and thematic discourse analysis, this study finds Circular Economy, circular society, and de-growth discourses informing themes about government, business, growth, consumers, society, and policy present and future. Arguing for a more nuanced view of the discursive and practice-based complexities of the circular transition, the study concludes with recommendations for a more holistic policy and practice beyond the current circularity for circularity’s sake. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

18 pages, 738 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Profiling Consumers: Examination of Chinese Gen Z Consumers’ Sustainable Fashion Consumption

by Yanbo Zhang, Chuanlan Liu and Yanru Lyu

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8447; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118447 - 23 May 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 14247

Abstract

The textile and apparel industry is widely recognized for its negative impact on the environment and society, and China is one of the largest fashion-consumption markets worldwide. There has been a growing awareness and effort to address these concerns in China, and Chinese Gen-Z consumers are playing a crucial role in shaping sustainable practices. This study aimed to identify and profile Gen-Z consumers with substantial engagement in sustainable fashion consumption in China. Data were collected from 292 Chinese Gen-Z adults from three major cities, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, using a convenience sampling strategy and the snowball approach. Cluster analysis was employed, and two groups were identified: passionate eco-conscious consumers and indifferent fashion consumers. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and the Crosstabs approach were utilized to examine the differences between the identified groups. The results revealed that passionate eco-conscious consumers valued classic design, high quality, and versatility, would like to pay more money for high-quality fashion clothing, and expressed their uniqueness through their fashion choices compared to indifferent fashion consumers. They actively sought sustainability knowledge and preferred supporting physical stores that sell second-hand clothing. Female Gen-Z consumers demonstrated a greater inclination towards sustainable fashion consumption in comparison to their male counterparts. A persona of Chinese Gen-Z consumers with high-level involvement in sustainable fashion consumption was created and presented for better marketing to Gen-Z consumers in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

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18 pages, 825 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining Generation Z Consumer Online Fashion Resale Participation and Continuance Intention through the Lens of Consumer Perceived Value

by Chuanlan Liu, Jeremy M. Bernardoni and Zhongjie Wang

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8213; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108213 - 18 May 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 12839

Abstract

The fashion industry has recently embraced a circular economy due to the increased consumer awareness of environmental issues, especially among younger generations. However, it is unclear if younger consumers, especially Generation Z, are willing to consistently engage in sustainable consumption patterns, such as buying and selling pre-owned fashion products through online resale platforms. This research specifically focuses on Generation Z consumers’ online fashion resale participation continuance. A research model was proposed with perceived benefits, pro-environmental beliefs as antecedents to attitude and continuance intention, and consumer perceived value as a moderating factor shaping the specified direct and mediating relationship. An online survey was administered to a convenience sample of 257 Generation Z consumers, and exploratory factor analysis identified five dimensions of perceived benefits of online fashion resale participation, epistemic benefits, product choice benefits, quality benefits, value for money, and budget benefits. Two groups of consumers were identified based on value perceptions of clothing consumption: maximum value pursuers and self-oriented shoppers. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesis. Results showed that pro-environmental beliefs affect Generation Z consumers’ attitudes and continuance intention to online fashion resale participation with strong effects for the group of self-oriented shoppers. Among the five dimensions of perceived benefits, only epistemic benefits affect continuance intention for self-oriented consumers. Theoretical and practical implications are provided in this paper. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

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16 pages, 747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Renting than Buying Apparel: U.S. Consumer Collaborative Consumption for Sustainability

by Ting Chi, Olabisi Adesanya, Hang Liu, Rebecca Anderson and Zihui Zhao

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4926; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064926 - 9 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3247

Abstract

Apparel rental service is a business model that is becoming increasingly popular in recent years as consumers become more conscious of their environmental impact and look for ways to reduce waste and save money. However, our knowledge on this changing consumer behavior is scant. To address the gap in the literature, this study aimed to identify the determinants driving U.S. consumers’ intention to use apparel rental services. Building on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), a research model was proposed. The primary data were gathered by an online survey of U.S. consumers through Qualtrics. A total of 338 eligible responses were obtained for data analysis and hypothesis testing. The results show that attitude, subjective norms, perceived consumer effectiveness, environmental knowledge, perceived personal relevance, and past environmental behavior significantly influence U.S. consumers’ intention to adopt apparel rental services. In addition, attitude plays a partial mediating role in the effects of environmental knowledge and perceived personal relevance on U.S. consumers’ intent to use apparel rental services. The demographic variables including age, gender, education level, and income level do not significantly influence U.S. consumer intention to rent apparel. The proposed research model exhibits a high explanatory power, collectively accounting for 74.7% of the variance in U.S. consumers’ intention to adopt apparel rental services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

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18 pages, 25603 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating Consumer Values of Secondhand Fashion Consumption in the Mass Market vs. Luxury Market: A Text-Mining Approach

by H M Rakib ul Hasan, Chunmin Lang and Sibei Xia

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010254 - 23 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4734

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate consumer values of secondhand fashion (SHF) consumption from online platforms in both the mass market and luxury market. The luxury SHF business is closely related to the business of SHF mass market. A cross-market value analysis would provide better insights to understand consumers’ motivations to purchase secondhand fashion products. Three mass-market SHF companies and three luxury SHF companies were selected as sample companies based on their revenues in the U.S. market. Consumers’ comments and reviews from a third-party business review site, trustpilot.com, were collected using the web-scraping technique. Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) analysis, as part of a machine learning algorithm, was applied to detect the most co-occurring word combinations and underlying values discussed in the reviews. The findings identified major consumer-perceived ‘source of values’, i.e., ‘possession/ownership transfer’, and ‘interaction between consumer to business platform’, which might negatively impact the performance of the business of SHF mass market compared to the luxury SHF business. The ’possession/ownership transfer’ source-related values are the most ignored value in the SHF mass market. By adopting the product-oriented value strategy practiced in the luxury market, SHF mass market might improve the consumer perception of product-related value areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

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18 pages, 1493 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Circular Economy and Information Technologies: Identifying and Ranking the Factors of Successful Practices

by Wishal Naveed, Majsa Ammouriova, Noman Naveed and Angel A. Juan

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15587; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315587 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3020

Abstract

Optimal resource utilization and sustainability are gaining importance in the last decades, raising awareness about the circular economy principles. The transition toward the circular economy demands appropriate culture, environment and technology. The developments in information and communication technologies could form the base for these requirements. Our study targets identifying factors that affect the implementation of circular economy principles. In addition, the role of information technologies in their implementation is targeted. A structured literature review was conducted to define these factors. These factors are categorized into four categories: cultural, automation, sharing, and measurement. The importance of these factors is ranked based on a questionnaire. The results show that the found factors are considered success factors in implementing circular economy practices. With respect to categories, the highest impact was noticed by the cultural category, emphasizing the impact of human factor, relations, and communication on the success of circular economy policies. In addition, factors related to appropriate infrastructure and data collection support the transition toward circular economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

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17 pages, 3647 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Designing Component Interfaces for the Circular Economy—A Case Study for Product-As-A-Service Business Models in the Automotive Industry

by Philip Krummeck, Yagmur Damla Dokur, Daniel Braun, Steffen Kiemel and Robert Miehe

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13851; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113851 - 25 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2827

Abstract

The resource-intensive automotive industry offers great potential to avoid waste through new circular business models. However, these new business models require technical innovations that enable the rapid dismantling of add-on parts. In this paper, we design new mechanical interfaces that enable fast and non-destructive dismantling while still fulfilling all technical requirements and develop a general model for the evaluation of disassembly capability. For this purpose, the current dismantling options of add-on parts are first examined and evaluated concerning defined KPIs using the example of the front bumper. Based on the analysis, the requirements as well as various solution principles for the new interface concept can be derived. The necessity of removing neighboring components is identified as the main challenge for rapid dismantling. Two different concepts for the interfaces were developed by inserting an intermediate level as a connecting part between the front bumper and the front module. We prove that by redesigning and reconstructing the interfaces the number of process steps required to remove the front bumper could be reduced by roughly 60% compared to current interface solutions. The developed methodology should be applied to other components of a vehicle to create a greater positive environmental, economic and societal impact. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

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14 pages, 2024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable and Innovative Packaging Solutions in the Fashion Industry: Global Report

by Iva Jestratijevic and Urška Vrabič-Brodnjak

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13476; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013476 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 7452

Abstract

The fashion industry generates packaging waste through the entire supply chain. Although brands are making efforts to improve packaging sustainability as demands for low-impact packaging are rising, there is a lack of empirical evidence of innovative packaging solutions among fashion retailers. This study represents the first global report on sustainable packaging innovation in the fashion sector. A data-mining approach was utilized to gather a sample of 400 international fashion brands that advertise sustainable packaging solutions across five continents. The sustainability of the packaging solution was evaluated for each brand based on three factors: sustainability mission, the availability of packaging data, and the actual sustainability of the package. The results showed that 57% of brands have made evident progress in the sustainable packaging area; 34% of brands have initiated the transition from conventional to improved packaging; the remaining brands have committed to rethink (1%) or to improve (8%) their packaging in the future. By providing comprehensive state-of-the-art evidence about practical achievements in the sustainable packaging field, this global report intends to help academics and practitioners to evaluate the environmental, social, and economic impacts of existing packaging products and to design circular packaging that minimizes these impacts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

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20 pages, 1940 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the Industry 4.0 Technologies Adoption Effect on Circular Economy

by Mohammad Zaher Akkad, Juraj Šebo and Tamás Bányai

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12815; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912815 - 8 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2542

Abstract

Industry 4.0 technologies’ adoption became a reality in manufacturing and other industrial companies. The effects of this adoption on several areas including the Circular Economy are interesting in the research field. Deep research and investigation of various Industry 4.0 technologies’ relationships with the Circular Economy are presented in this article. The investigation is based on collected data from 798 companies in five countries, Lithuania, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia as part of the European Manufacturing Survey project in 2018. After filtering the data, groups’ comparison is used to form potential prospective relationships in connection with the presented literature. A logistics regression test is used by SPSS software to validate the hypotheses and potential relations. Based on the achieved results, it seems that both Industry 4.0 and non-Industry 4.0 technologies can have significant relations with Circular Economy technologies, so they can be potentially influenced or enhanced by both. Similarly, an investigation of the relations between the development of products with improved environmental impact and the use of Industry 4.0 technologies showed no clear dominance of Industry 4.0 technologies over non-Industry 4.0. Finally, there are two of the twelve investigated technologies that have a significant relationship (potential impact) on both the Circular Economy technologies and product development with improved environmental impact. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

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14 pages, 1267 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Threats of Internet-of-Thing on Environmental Sustainability by E-Waste

by Batoul Modarress Fathi, Alexander Ansari and Al Ansari

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10161; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610161 - 16 Aug 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3189

Abstract

Human activities are at the heart of interactions between physical and digital spheres enabled by the Internet and the proliferation of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices destined to be discarded. The rejected devices, called e-waste, contain toxic substances that negatively impact environmental sustainability. There are no studies to examine the impacts of the Internet and IoT on the sheer volume of e-waste, which is the objective of this paper. Based on an extensive literature review, two propositions were advanced, and three secondary datasets were used to test the propositions from 2000 to 2021. The first dataset relates to the world Internet penetration through variables associated with network accessibility. The second dataset is linked to the global proliferation of the IoT through its technological functionality. The third dataset is the worldwide volume of e-waste measured in millions of metric tons. Our findings indicate that the Internet and the IoT play pivotal roles in the e-waste crisis. Network accessibility and technological functionality significantly and positively influence the variability in the volume of e-waste, thus threatening environmental sustainability. Several actionable recommendations encourage developers, politicians, policymakers, and users of electronic devices to pay closer attention to the escalating size of e-waste threatening environmental sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

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25 pages, 328 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Collaborative Consumption: A Study of Sustainability Presentation in Fashion Rental Platforms

by Lindsay McCoy and Ting Chi

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8537; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148537 - 12 Jul 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4985

Abstract

Despite the increased research into the business potential and environmental impact of fashion renting, no previous research has studied the sustainable presentation of fashion (apparel, textiles, shoe, accessory, or jewelry) rental company platforms, which is the purpose of this study. The triple bottom line framework and content analysis methods were used to identify themes in their communications. An open coding method was applied to develop first-level concepts and sub-categories, followed by a calculation of the frequency of the aspects addressed on each website. A total of 56 active fashion rental businesses in the U.S. were identified and analyzed. A total of 11 main themes and 27 sub-themes emerged. The companies with the overall most mentioned sub-themes were REI and The Lauren Look by Ralph Lauren. The results indicate that sustainability information on company websites needs to be more organized for clear presentation and easy access to the public. Many companies can make simple adjustments such as educating consumers on the sustainable nature of their business model and providing data-related evidence for determining the social and environmental impacts. Companies must also provide more detailed information on COVID-19 cleaning/sanitizing practices to reduce the perceived risk while promoting consumers’ willingness to try fashion rental services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

20 pages, 43810 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Embodied Carbon Emissions and Regional Transfer Characteristics—Evidence from China

by Hehua Zhao, Hongwen Chen and Lei He

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 1969; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14041969 - 9 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2005

Abstract

China has a considerable impact on climate change, as it is the world’s largest developing country. Its carbon emissions are also a global concern. This research employed a multi-region input–output model to estimate the local emission effect and the regional spillover effect caused by the demand for intermediate and final products, to analyze the interregional flow of carbon emissions, and to identify the main industries causing domestic carbon emissions in China from 2007 to 2012. A structural path analysis model was used to evaluate the contribution of different factors and demand types to changes in carbon emissions. The following findings were obtained in this study: (1) The regional spillover effect of carbon emissions driven by domestic demand is characterized by inland provinces’ demand leading to emissions in coastal provinces. (2) Electricity, nonmetallic minerals, and metals are the key industries for carbon emissions. (3) The results of the SDA indicate that the scale effect is the main driving force for the growth in carbon emissions caused by domestic demand in China. Fixed capital formation is the most critical demand factor influencing carbon emissions. This study provides new insights into the characteristics of regional emission transfer in China. The conclusion of this paper is helpful to China in achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Technological Innovation)

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