Implementing circular economy principles in the apparel production process: Reusing pre-consumer waste for sustainability of environment and economy

Abstract

Environmentalists, the government, and the factory have always been more concerned with the inevitable pre-consumer waste produced by the apparel sector. The sustainable management of this enormous waste has received substantial attention from researchers. This study aims to experiment with a fresh approach to circular fashion, applying the circular economy principle of ‘reusing’ to manage the pre-consumer waste sustainably generated in the cutting section of the apparel industry. A specific style (boy’s t-shirts) has been assessed to trace, gather, classify and quantify the reusable cutting waste produced in a factory located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to introduce circular fashion (toddler t-shirts) and integrate circularity practices in the existing production process. It has been found that approximately 2238 pieces of circular products (CP) can be produced from the 218.6 kg surplus fabric, 212.13 kg reusable cutting waste and 210 reusable rejected cut panels. The approach followed in the study has presented the shortest loop of the circular economy consisting of the stages of gathering, sorting, redesigning, re-cutting, and sewing process. The investigation further demonstrates that, concerning ecological sustainability and economic feasibility, the direct reutilization of pre-consumer waste of cutting sections could prove more efficient than recycling, landfilling, or incineration.