How to identify opportunities for improvement in the use of reverse logistics in clothing industries? A case study in a Brazilian cluster

Abstract

Waste disposal is a worldwide concern. In the case of the textile and clothing industries, consumption has increased steadily, especially in the clothing business, which generates large amounts of post-industrial waste. The objective of this article is to identify opportunities for improvement in the use of reverse logistics (RL) in clothing industries, as well as to list the existing strengths in the valuation of textile waste (TW) and minimize environmental impacts. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire was developed, validated and applied in a clothing cluster. The questionnaire assessed strengths and weaknesses in 8 dimensions using 32 assertions involving reverse logistics and management of textile waste. We identified in the research that: (i) there are no route facilitators between RL and TW in clothing industries; (ii) there are opportunities for the textile companies to increase the adoption of RL to combat TW; (iii) the main improvement opportunities for increasing cluster advancement in terms of RL and TW are: reuse of TW by the generating company and separating waste according to the composition of materials, which would facilitate the possibility of recycling and disclosing to consumers the importance of social and environmental practices. Conclusion remarks point that, despite the existence of strengths in the use of the RL for the TW valuing in the clothing industry, it is still required a readjustment of the destination of TW as a by-product to be used in a new cycle.