Abstract
The textile and fashion industry has had significant technological developments but is currently criticised for its environmental and social impacts and for being a major contributor to waste. The rise of the circular economy (CE) has promoted more sustainable concepts, including the trending of recycling strategies to add value to the textile and plastic waste. However, adding value to products and for users implies technical upscaling and clear communication about the benefits of recycling. This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) and explores the state of the art of recycled textiles (RT) and circular fashion (CF) as perceived by humans. The literature review was performed on the basis of journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers using the ScienceDirect (SD) and Web of Science (WoS) databases. The review identified that a significant proportion of consumers from different countries have a basic understanding of sustainable products but that there have been differences in consumers’ attitudes towards sustainable purchase, use, consumption, and post-purchase behaviour. Diverse and even contradictory results occurred concerning the relationships between RT and CF and their perceived product attributes in terms of quality and functionality, as well as social-cultural factors. Manufacturers’ and brands’ perceived values of RT were observed to be influenced by different factors on the basis of the recycling system and cultural values, while designer attitudes towards sustainability were observed to be influenced by external factors. This review contributes to the creation of three main implications in terms of environmental impact and awareness, including actions and concrete proposals for RT and CF.
Highlights
The high consumption and disposal of fast fashion are creating large numbers of post-consumer textile waste from end-consumers
The analysis was based on the two major consumer behaviour topics of awareness and attitudes, which are linked to behavioural responses: (1) awareness, in terms of consumer and industry
The analysis was based on the two major consumer behaviour topics of awareness and attitudes, which are linked to behavioural responses: (1) awareness, in terms of consumer and industry awareness of general clothing sustainability, (1.1) consumer awareness of recycling and disposal, and (1.2) industry awareness of recycling, as well as (2) attitudes and response including perceived values, in terms of (2.1) consumer attitudes, and (2.2) industry attitudes
Summary
The high consumption and disposal of fast fashion are creating large numbers of post-consumer textile waste from end-consumers. Estimations by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) report [1] refer to 1,130,000 tonnes of clothing and household textile purchases and a carbon footprint of 26.2 million tonnes CO2e in 2016, with the UK having the highest consumption rate in the EU with 26.7 kg per capita in 2010 [2]. The fashion and textile industry generates industrial by-product textile materials in terms of fibres, fabrics, and overproduction, resulting in post-industrial or pre-consumer waste. Polyester is the most crucial fibre worldwide, considering its market share of around 51.5% and its production volume of more than 55.1 million tonnes in 2018 [4]. New visions and models beyond this current situation are under development but need more political support
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