Closed Loop Systems and Reverse Logistics

Abstract

Textile industry faces a stringent threat in terms of environmental impacts created by a textile product in its entire life cycle from cradle to grave. There are multiple issues linked to this threat and it is severed by the amount of textile waste generated by the global population. Closed loop systems thinking and reverse logistics (RL) are some of the practical solutions which can help the textile and fashion industry to tackle this threat. Closing the loop of the life cycle of a textile and fashion product along with RL places the textile industry in a much better position with least environmental impacts and multiple environmental and economic benefits. The rationale behind this closed loop system is very simple-turning the fashion or textile product into an useful product at the end of its life rather than sending it to just landfill, which causes severe environmental impacts and apart from that, landfills are full and no more globally. There is a dire need to think of an alternate solution to dumping into landfills and such solution, which can overwhelmingly be advantageous to the environment, is closed loop systems coupled with RL. This chapter reviews the principles of closed loop systems, RL and their implications on textiles and fashion sector.