Stitching Sustainability in Fashion: Strengthening Circular Economy Drivers in the Textile Industry

Abstract

This chapter discusses the pressing need for the textile and fashion industry to embrace Circular Economy (CE) principles with reference to their environmental impacts. The textile industry-a significant economic driver on its own-is also one of the biggest polluters out there (accounting for almost 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and heavily contributing to widespread water pollution through waste effluents). In light of the above, this chapter showcases that moving from a linear “take-make-dispose” model to a circular economy is crucial to tackling waste generation, improving resource efficiency, and mitigating environmental degradation. The textile sector serves as a case of Circular Economy with key drivers including sustainable materials innovation, product life extension, reverse logistics, and business model innovation in this chapter. The chapter also discusses the obstacles to CE adoption, such as restrictions in terms of technology, economic barriers, and issues with markets and consumer behavior. It also underlines the importance of a collaborative ecosystem in combination with enabling policy to work across the value chain and engage the consumer for successful circular adoption. This chapter, illustrated with real-world case studies and strategies of overcoming challenges, presents how businesses can integrate CE to minimize waste, maximize resource utilization, and ensure long-term sustainability. Key to furthering apparel's circular revolution are future trends such as regenerative fashion, AI for production optimization, and localized manufacturing. The chapter highlights that embedding CE principles will enhance the triple bottom line by improving social well-being, environmental sustainability, and financial performance in the textile and fashion sectors.