Abstract

Sustainable methods of practice within the fashion and textile industry (FTI) often strive to employ a circular economy that aims to eliminate waste through the continual use of resources. Complex problems such as waste, consumption, and overproduction are heavily intertwined; the main aim of this paper is to report on research focused on re-examining the potential of food waste streams as a commercially viable and circular source of raw materials for the FTI. Herein, regenerated protein fibres (RPFs) from food production waste streams rich in protein have been chosen as the main topic of focus. RPFs have a rich and relevant history from a local manufacturing perspective during wartime and post-war clothing rationing (1941–1949) in the UK. RPFs were used to meet civilian needs for wool-based textiles as part of a wider series of ‘make do and mend’ strategies designed to manage the consumption of new textile products. However, RPFs demonstrated inferior quality in terms of durability when compared to wool-based textiles, a significant contributing factor to the consequent commercial phasing out of RPFs. In today’s take–make–waste model, the FTI landscape can be defined by speed, from slow (high-quality materials and construction, long-lasting products) to fast (seasonal, disposable, low-quality materials and construction), the latter infamous for dire environmental impacts. A key objective of this research is to review the association of quality and longevity within the context of a local and circular fashion economy in which textile quality and lifecycle analysis are holistically matched to the longevity of the textile, garment, or product to reduce waste across the supply chain.

Highlights

  • The time needed to reverse the effects of climate change is quickly running out

  • While there is no direct data for comparing the food waste post-farm gate to pre-farm gate in the UK, Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP) attempted to estimate it through an exhaustive literature review of similar data from other countries and predicted that food loss pre-farm gate could be as much as 3.6 million tonnes, meaning that this sector could account for more than retail and hospitality combined [25,26]

  • The aim of this research was to analyse how regenerated protein fibres (RPFs) from food industry waste could offer a new perspective on our interpretation of fast and slow speedcycles whilst alleviating pressures on mass consumption

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Summary

Introduction

The time needed to reverse the effects of climate change is quickly running out. This research brings together a necessary range of literary sources and disciplinary expertise to analyse the bigger picture surrounding the development and consumption of sustainable new materials and their impact upon the environment. Regenerated protein fibres (RPFs) have been chosen as a primary example due to the unexpected synergy between the modern climate of overproduction in the textile industry and the political crisis and material shortage experienced during the age in which RPFs, historically known as azlons, were developed. Together, these two issues provide a refreshing outlook for the exploration of reducing locally produced waste volumes while relieving pressure on natural and synthetic fibres through increases in production. With the current growth of the fashion sector, it is predicted that freight use will as much as triple by 2040 [3]

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