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Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 95397

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Kirsi Niinimäki

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Guest Editor

Department of Design, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
Interests: sustainable fashion and textiles; circular ecosystem; sustainable transformation; multidisciplinary collaboration

Dr. Natalia Moreira

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Guest Editor

Department of Design, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
Interests: sustainability; consumer behaviour and product development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The textile and clothing industry is a huge global business and one of the biggest polluters in the world (Quantis 2018). This industry has high environmental impacts which have an effect on climate change (Niinimäki et al. 2020). Lately, the pressure to change industrial practices in the fashion and textile industry toward more sustainable ones has been a burning issue not only in academic investigations but also in public discourse.

To slow the material throughput in the system and to lower the environmental impacts of fashion and textiles, we must construct a new system level understanding and create a shift from linear (take, make, dispose) to circular thinking through the following approaches: narrowing (efficiency), closing (recycling), and slowing (reusing) (Bocken et al. 2018). Sustainable transformation needs fundamental changes at all levels in the fashion and textile system: deceleration of manufacturing and consumption, new business models, new design strategies, extended producer responsibility, and reverse logistics (Niinimäki et al. 2020). Therefore, new knowledge is needed at all levels in the fashion/textile system from materials, design and manufacturing practices, garments’ lifetimes, new business models, and conscious consumer behavior.

This Special Issue will focus on sustainable textile and fashion in the context of a circular economy, and therefore, we expect to receive contributions especially from the following themes:

How to slow down the system;
How to extend the use time of textiles and garments;
How to improve the recyclability of textiles and garments;
How to construct new business models linking to a circular economy.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to open the many levels which need to be included while approaching textile and fashion sustainability from a system level point of view. Theoretical, methodological, and empirical papers will be considered.

Bocken, N. M. P. et al. (2018) Slowing Resource Loops in the Clothing Industry through Circular Business Model Experimentation. In K. Niinimäki (ed.) Sustainable Fashion in a Circular Economy, Helsinki: Aalto Arts Books, pp 152–167. (Aalto ARTS Books, 2018).

Niinimäki, K. et al. (2020) The Environmental Price of Fast Fashion. Nature Reviews; Earth and Environment 1, pp. 189–200.

Quantis. (2018) Measuring Fashion. Environmental Impact of the Global Apparel and Footwear Industries Study; Quantis: Lausanne, Switzerland.

Prof. Dr. Kirsi Niinimäki
Dr. Natalia Moreira
Guest Editors

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Keywords

sustainable textile
sustainable garments
sustainable fashion
circular economy
extended use
lifetime
recyclability
business models
sustainable transformation

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

31 pages, 924 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Carrot or the Stick? Stakeholder Support for Mandatory Regulations towards a Circular Fashion System

by Saskia Manshoven and Wim Van Opstal

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 14671; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214671 - 8 Nov 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5580

Abstract

In recent years, fast fashion has boosted global production and consumption, decreasing the lifespans of garments and increasing volumes of discarded textiles which are neither reusable or recyclable. Consequently, multiple visions and strategies regarding circular fashion have been developed, addressing a broad range of features pertaining to a potential circular fashion system. Most remain vague about concrete ambitions and policy measures. However, the design of transition pathways involves a good understanding of the policy instruments among stakeholders that operate in a globalized industry with complex value chains. In this study, we investigate stakeholder support for policy instruments that could contribute towards a circular and sustainable fashion system. We identify 30 aspects of a circular fashion system, based on a screening of visions and strategies published by supranational bodies, NGOs, and sectoral organizations. Then, we present survey and focus group results, displaying broad stakeholder support for government intervention, particularly mandatory regulations. A plausible explanation is the prisoner’s dilemma most stakeholders face regarding global value chains, indicating the need for a more level playing field. We identify and address the differences between stakeholder preferences and conclude that mandatory regulations appear to be a necessary but not a sufficient condition for a transition towards a circular fashion system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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18 pages, 4538 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fashion-as-a-Service: Circular Business Model Innovation in Retail

by Kim Poldner, Anja Overdiek and Agnes Evangelista

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13273; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013273 - 15 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5209

Abstract

This article seeks to contribute to the literature on circular business model innovation in fashion retail. Our research question is which ‘model’—or combination of models—would be ideal as a business case crafting multiple value creation in small fashion retail. We focus on a qualitative, single in-depth case study—pop-up store KLEER—that we operated for a duration of three months in the Autumn of 2020. The shop served as a ‘testlab’ for action research to experiment with different business models around buying, swapping, and borrowing second-hand clothing. Adopting the Business Model Template (BMT) as a conceptual lens, we undertook a sensory ethnography which led to disclose three key strategies for circular business model innovation in fashion retail: Fashion-as-a-Service (F-a-a-S) instead of Product-as-a-Service (P-a-a-S) (1), Place-based value proposition (2) and Community as co-creator (3). Drawing on these findings, we reflect on ethnography in the context of a real pop-up store as methodological approach for business model experimentation. As a practical implication, we propose a tailor-made BMT for sustainable SME fashion retailers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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18 pages, 1466 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Extending the Lifetime of Clothing through Repair and Repurpose: An Investigation of Barriers and Enablers in UK Citizens

by Lisa Zhang and Jo Hale

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10821; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710821 - 30 Aug 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6262

Abstract

Repairing and repurposing clothes can extend their lifetime, helping reduce the environmental impacts of the fashion industry. We aimed to investigate influences on clothing repair and repurpose using the Theoretical Domains Framework. A survey was conducted with a representative sample of 300 UK citizens. The frequency of, and influences on, clothing repair and repurpose behaviour were measured with self-report scales and a free-text item. Quantitative (logistic regression) and qualitative (thematic) analyses were used to identify barriers and enablers of behaviour. Findings showed that participants typically engaged in the behaviour every six months. The main barriers concerned a lack of skills, poor product design, unaffordability of repair services, and incongruence with identity. Key enablers concerned the ability to focus during DIY tasks, dynamic social norms, beliefs about benefits of repairing, emotional attachment to clothing, and having routines and habits of repairing. This study is the first to apply the Behaviour Change Wheel to identify intervention types and behaviour change techniques that can modify these influences, such as training workshops and the provision of free repair and repurpose services. Policy options were suggested to support implementation, such as extended producer responsibility. Awareness and skill-building campaigns, while important, are not enough to support behaviour change; structural and policy changes are needed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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17 pages, 371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining the Nexus between the Vs of Big Data and the Sustainable Challenges in the Textile Industry

by Rosangela de Fátima Pereira Marquesone and Tereza Cristina Melo de Brito Carvalho

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4638; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084638 - 13 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2933

Abstract

Despite its substantial economic power, the textile industry currently faces environmental and social challenges, such as continuous extraction of natural resources, extensive water consumption and contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, increasing generation of waste, and inadequate working conditions. In this context, the literature indicates that Big Data contributes to solving these challenges, enabling the extraction of insights and the improvement of decision-making processes from the volume, variety and velocity of data. However, there is still a gap in the literature regarding the directions of how Big Data must be applied by an organization to achieve this goal. Therefore, this article aims to explore this gap, presenting an analysis regarding the nexus between Big Data and sustainability challenges of the textile industry. To this end, a set of 12 textile industry challenges were extracted from an assessment of 108 case studies. These challenges were categorized and contextualized according to Big Data dimensions, and a discussion of the applicability of Big Data to solving each challenge was presented. From this approach, this article contributes to the textile industry by presenting a categorization of sustainable challenges of the industry and also by providing directions regarding the resolution of such challenges from a data-driven perspective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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13 pages, 1807 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reducing the Environmental Impacts of Garments through Industrially Scalable Closed-Loop Recycling: Life Cycle Assessment of a Recycled Wool Blend Sweater

by Stephen G. Wiedemann, Leo Biggs, Simon J. Clarke and Stephen J. Russell

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1081; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031081 - 18 Jan 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 9488

Abstract

Wool recycling has been practiced commercially for more than 200 years. This study used data from established, commercial processes with the aim of determining the environmental impacts of a recycled wool blend garment and the contribution of recycling to reducing impacts on the market for wool sweaters, in comparison to other emission reduction approaches relating to garment use. A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment showed impacts of 0.05 kg CO₂-e, 0.63 MJ, 0.58 L H₂O-e and 0.95 L per wear of a recycled wool blend sweater for climate change, fossil energy demand, water stress and freshwater consumption, respectively. Impacts predominantly arose from garment manufacturing and consumer practices (retail and garment care). When a recycled wool blend sweater was maintained with best practice garment use and care, impacts were reduced by 66–90% relative to standard maintenance of a virgin pure wool sweater. Increasing the closed-loop recycling rate to 50% had the potential to reduce impacts for the wool sweater market 7–24%, depending on the impact category. Brands and consumers hold the key to increasing recycling rates and reducing environmental impacts via increased donation of garments for recycling and increased adoption of garments containing recycled wool. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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15 pages, 12908 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fit for the Future: Garment Quality and Product Lifetimes in a CE Context

by Riikka Piippo, Kirsi Niinimäki and Maarit Aakko

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 726; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020726 - 10 Jan 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5120

Abstract

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industrial sectors in the world and its environmental impacts are huge. Garments are produced effectively at a low price, are of low quality, and are used for a very short time before ending up in increasing textile waste streams. One critical aspect in this context is the lifetime of a garment. Short garment lifetimes are the results of low quality and consumer dissatisfaction, or consumers’ constant search for newness, resulting in the early disposal of garments. This study focused on the issue of garment quality and how it can be connected to product lifetime. The research used a case study approach, including company interviews about working for quality, and aimed to expand on the topic of how quality impacts product lifetimes. Data analysis was conducted according to the principles of descriptive analysis and the discussion expanded to the circular economy context, creating an extended understanding of garment quality in a circular economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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18 pages, 449 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Circular Economy for More Sustainable Apparel Consumption: Testing the Value-Belief-Norm Theory in Brazil and in The Netherlands

by Giovana Monteiro Gomes, Natalia Moreira, Thijs Bouman, Aldo Roberto Ometto and Ellen van der Werff

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020618 - 6 Jan 2022

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 6240

Abstract

The apparel industry causes environmental problems, particularly due to the shortening life cycle of garments and fast-fashion’s throw-away culture. The circular economy provides solutions to minimise and prevent these problems through innovative circular business models, which require changes in consumer behaviours. With the lens of environmental psychology, we analyse consumers’ willingness to acquire circular apparel considering four approaches on clothing life-cycle extension. We conducted an online questionnaire among Brazilian and Dutch consumers and tested if the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory can explain the willingness of consumers to purchase circular apparel. Our results indicate that, overall, the variables from the VBN theory explain circular behaviour in the apparel industry and that the paths suggested by the model are supported by our analyses. Additionally, we tested and found that when all of the variables from the VBN theory were controlled for, materialistic values did not explain circular behaviours in the apparel industry among Brazilian respondents. However, they had a positive influence on some circular apparel behaviours among Dutch consumers. Overall, materialistic values did not play an important role in predicting willingness to consume circular clothing. Furthermore, the results suggest that the VBN theory predicts willingness to consume circular apparel better in the Netherlands compared to Brazil, suggesting that this behaviour may be perceived as more effortful for the Brazilian population. However, we highlight the need for future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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28 pages, 648 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regulation for Promoting Sustainable, Fair and Circular Fashion

by Meital Peleg Mizrachi and Alon Tal

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 502; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010502 - 4 Jan 2022

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 26797

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the production and consumption of clothing has increased exponentially, leading to a dramatic increase in the negative environmental consequences produced by the fashion industry. Given the rising pace of global warming and the rising concern about the fashion industry’s contribution to the climate crisis and its exploitative social dimensions, decision makers, politicians and government officials have begun to promote sustainable fashion through public policy. This article reviews the main barriers facing a circular economy in general and the fashion industry in particular. It considers nascent regulations emerging throughout the world in the field of sustainable fashion, applying circular economic principles to the fashion industry. Four categories of policy proposals are evaluated: Command and Control Interventions, Educational Initiatives, Incentives and Certification, grading them according to criteria of effectiveness, sustainability, feasibility, equity and compliance. The ranking process was based on an elicitation of expert judgement among a panel with expertise in the areas of sustainable fashion from the business sector, academia and civil society. Findings suggest that while some policy options appear to meet all criteria successfully, when selecting an optimal strategy for promoting sustainable fashion, there are frequently trade-offs between different alternatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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16 pages, 249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Worldwide Wardrobes to Support Reuse in Consumers’ Clothing Systems

by Dieuwertje de Wagenaar, Joris Galama and Siet J. Sijtsema

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010487 - 3 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6024

Abstract

Extending the use of garments is often seen as an important strategy to decrease the impact of the fashion industry. However, currently there are a lack of data on and understanding of consumers’ wardrobes. This study explores consumers’ wardrobes internationally, and we aim to explore the total amount, unused and second-hand garments in order to develop interventions to support reuse. Through an online course, data were gathered in a survey about the content of participants’ wardrobes, counting the amounts of garments in predefined categories, and the amount of unused and second-hand garments thereof. Differences were found between clothing categories, age groups and gender for unused and second-hand garments. Between nationalities only differences were found for second-hand garments. These insights are supportive to targeted interventions for gender and age groups related to specific categories of (unused and second-hand) garments, to elongate the practical service life of garments, support consumers’ sustainable clothing decisions and in the end reduce consumption. Additionally, this exploration provides insights how to improve international monitoring and the value of digital wardrobe studies. Recommendations are provided, especially focused on interventions to support motivations, capabilities, and opportunities to improve reuse. Ultimately, through consumers’ wardrobes this study supports the next steps towards a more circular clothing system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

19 pages, 3763 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“I Still Love Them and Wear Them”—Conflict Occurrence and Management in Wearer-Clothing Relationships

by Ana Neto and João Ferreira

Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13054; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313054 - 25 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2891

Abstract

The reasons why people use their clothes for longer are complex, but essential to understand how to promote longer clothing lifetimes. We conducted an online survey with open-ended questions, asking 170 female participants to write about one of their oldest garments still in use. When analysing our qualitative data, we found that many participants reported going through some mishaps with their item, a situation which is identified in existing literature as a reason for garment disposal. Following ongoing research which compares wearer-clothing relationships with human relationships, we analysed our qualitative data in the light of theory on interpersonal relationships to understand why conflict did not lead participants to dispose of their garments. The findings suggest that the way people manage conflict with their clothes is more critical for garment longevity than the conflict per se, which is bound to happen at some point in time. This paper presents different approaches to conflict in wearer-clothing relationships and illustrates them with testimonies from our survey. We discuss our findings through relevant literature and their implications to specific strategies for garment longevity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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15 pages, 398 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influences on Consumer Engagement with Sustainability and the Purchase Intention of Apparel Products

by Ana La Rosa and Jennifer Johnson Jorgensen

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10655; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910655 - 25 Sep 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6274

Abstract

Apparel and textile products are filling landfills and contributing to extensive waste found across the world. Much of the textile waste is due to the typical consumer not being aware of the care for, disposal of, and sustainable options for textile products. To identify consumers’ intention to engage in sustainable practices and the intention to purchase sustainable apparel options, this study measured consumers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls. Data were collected from a sample of 397 participants through a Qualtrics online survey disseminated on Amazon’s MTurk. Results of the multiple regression analysis yielded three of note: (1) a positive attitude toward recycling and the environment is related to a higher intention to engage in sustainable behavior, (2) a positive attitude toward green apparel products leads to a higher intention to purchase sustainable products, and (3) family and friends and the convenience of finding sustainable apparel products in stores have also influenced the purchase of sustainable apparel. Thus, this study provides significant insights into both intention to engage in sustainable behavior and the intention to purchase sustainable products and serves as a foundation for future studies on the sustainable engagement and purchase intention toward sustainable products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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18 pages, 984 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fashion Rental: Smart Business or Ethical Folly?

by Ciara Gyde and Lisa S. McNeill

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8888; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168888 - 9 Aug 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 7275

Abstract

The research presented here illustrates the spectrum of fashion rental PSS firms and business strategies within the New Zealand fashion rental market. The evidence collected suggests that there is a market for fashion rental; however, this market is underdeveloped in regard to its potential as a benefit exchange medium that encourages alternative consumption practice. This study finds that there is, indeed, enormous potential in PSSs as a means to divert fashion-conscious consumers away from ownership behaviours; however, the current systems fall short of this goal. This study offers a taxonomy to create and develop fashion rental PSSs that achieve central aims of circular economy fashion systems, enhancing the collective, social aspects of access, value-sharing and continuing development of mutual gain within the system. It is anticipated that this taxonomy could be further refined and extended through research in other countries, including those with more established, larger fashion rental organisations. Further, there is potential for action research approaches to the design and analysis of alternative fashion rental PSSs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding)

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