Circular Economy in Textiles and Apparel

Processing, Manufacturing, and Design

Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu

• Publisher: Woodhead Publishing
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780081026533
• Topic: Technik & Maschinenbau
• Subtopic: Maschinen- und Anlagebau

Circular Economy in Textiles and Apparel: Processing, Manufacturing, and Design is the first book to provide guidance on this subject, presenting the tools for implementing this paradigm and their impact on textile production methods. Sustainable business strategies are also covered, as are new design methods that can help in the reduction of waste. Drawing on contributions from leading experts in industry and academia, this book covers every aspect of this increasingly important subject and speculates on future developments.

• Provides case studies on the circular economy in operation in the textiles industry
• Identifies challenges to implementation and areas where more research is needed
• Draws on both industrial innovation and academic research to explain an emerging topic with the potential to entirely change the way we make and use clothing

1

Introduction and the concept of circular economy

Miguel Angel Gardetti^a Center for Studies on Sustainable Luxury, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to develop the concept of circular economy as an alternative to the currently prevailing economic system called linear economy. The circular economy is based on the natural cycle, which evidences a perfectly balanced operation. In the circular economy, there is no such thing as waste, as it becomes a new source of resources, which, if possible, should add value to the new product. Today, the emergence of the circular economy is a need rather than an alternative. The way in which goods and services are both produced and consumed—particularly in the fashion system—is highly accelerated, almost addictive. The circular economy states that, when properly treated, every resource can be reappraised. This implies certain harmony like that prevailing in nature. Resilience, creativity, innovation, and transparency are some of the mandatory qualities to move toward it.

Keywords

Circular economy; Fashion system; Linear economy; Nature cycle; Sustainability; Textile industry

1.1. Introduction

Matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed. Matter and energy also tend to disperse. These are two major laws of thermodynamics referring to infinity, on the one hand, and entropy, on the other. Infinity, because—as we will elaborate on throughout this chapter—matter is constantly changing and offers a wide range of possibilities. It has always existed and it will always exist, which leads us to the concept of entropy. Entropy refers to a measure of disorder within a system, which causes matter to change and evolve. Both concepts—infinity and entropy—are inherent to any element of nature. Every entity existing in the universe has these qualities and answers to these laws of physics. These laws were mentioned by Ray Anderson—Founder of Interface and pioneer in the application of the circular economy as a business model—(1998) in his book “Mid-Course Correction,” and they are the pillars of the sustainability paradigm. And, of course, as sustainability is systemic, we cannot talk about sustainability without referring to the circular economy. The circular economy is based on the natural operation of the universe. It leads us to a comprehensive understanding of our context, and reappraises the resources we use to conduct an undertaking. It guides us to a more frugal, less fictitious way of living, considering every circumstance within its context and becoming aware of the impact of every action we take. Therefore, a change of paradigm is impending, perhaps not to “save the planet” or to “save humanity,” but just to learn about the care and respect that every living being deserves.

The operation of the current economic system is evidenced in most industries, like the textile industry, and more frequently, in the fashion system. Over the past decades, leading industry brands have increasingly sped up the season cycles they offer and promote, and at present lack of transparency prevails. In order to meet increasingly tight deadlines, most fashion brands decide to manufacture their clothes outside the country of origin, choosing Eastern countries for this process, where production costs are much lower because labor rights are less respected as well. In these countries the working conditions are unhealthy. However, such working conditions are not restricted to manufacturing in Eastern countries, as neither is forced or child labor exclusive to the tailoring process, but go as far as every step of the production process. For example, according to the report submitted by the US Department of Labor in 2016, in the case of the fashion industry, child and forced labor is found in Argentina and Brazil, in addition to the already known countries such as Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. According to the same report, forced and child labor during cotton production is evidenced in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Egypt, China, India, Turkey, Benin, Uzbekistan, and Mali, among others (DOL, 2016). Astonishingly most fashion consumers are unaware of raw material sourcing, and the production, transport, promotion, and sale of the clothes or accessories they wear. However, it was proved that if this information is given to consumers, they take account of it and will most likely base their future purchase decisions on these aspects (Han et al., 2017).

Likewise, the language chosen to communicate improvement proposals should be assertive. This means that, instead of focusing on what is done wrong, it is more effective to propose solutions, showing alternatives to improve and looking for collaboration with other parts, generating empathy. By communicating and informing about other ways of making, producing, consuming, and managing resources, we are offering an opportunity for a better behavior, both improving ourselves and bringing about positive environmental changes. If everything is transformed, it should be to improve, not to impoverish.

1.2. Linear versus circular economy: conceptual differences

In general, the concept of economy leads us to think of trading systems, financial systems, investments, figures, companies, profits, losses, GDP, and other rates which, eventually, give us view of either the growth or decline of a country or region. This is a linear economic system that works as planned in the 18th century during the first industrial revolution, a time that witnessed the emergence of the economic thinking underlying the current global economies and mechanized production (Leonas, 2017). However, the world is not the same in the 21st century. We are currently operating beyond the healthy boundary. We have information and coexist with the consequences of scarce resources, pollution, and damages to soil, water, air, and biodiversity. These entail not only environmental but also social consequences. Overpopulation, poverty, epidemics, diseases, pace of life, wars, forms of employment, and food are all consequences of past decisions regarding resource management. This economic system, which involves a trading system based on mass production and consumption, could be defined with the slogan “use-dispose,” since it takes large amounts of resources—abusing them, at a low economic cost—for immediate use and generates a large amount of waste. This accelerated growth and its subsequent accelerated consumption of products and resources have significantly worsened environmental problems (Radhakrishnan, 2017). By overexploiting themselves and other living beings, human beings created widespread consciousness, or rather unconsciousness, of disposal, thus perpetuating a culture that repeats the same patterns that resulted in our dramatically accelerated lives over and over again through generations. Therefore, the economic system should be planned considering both living beings and the persistence of economic profit. That is what the circular economy is all about.

For example, the circular economy is based on four basic principles of nature (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2012; Weetman, 2017). These principles could be defined as follows:

1. • Waste as nutrients: like in nature, waste becomes food for other beings or nutrients for the soil. In the case of objects, this translates into keeping objects to be reused and redesigned in order to extend their durability by keeping all their parts with the highest possible quality. Therefore, a product life cycle can be indefinitely extended.
2. • Resilience: like in nature, resilience is built through species diversity. By creating a wide pool of resources, the circular economy can use them to adjust to every context and circumstance.
3. • Renewable energy: to create a collaborative system among the parts that provides for a flow of resources, ideas, and information—all powered by renewable energy.
4. • Systemic: it is based on the connection between its constituents, creating opportunities for the context where it develops, setting an example for other economies/cultures/societies.

Moreover, the linear economy is based on mass production and marketing, which speed up production and wear and tear times. Conversely, the circular economy is based on natural laws, emulating the natural cycles (Gullingsrud and Perkins, 2015). It is regenerative and restorative as to resources, societies, and the environment (Leonas, 2017). The circular economy is based on four principles: preservation of the natural capital; optimization of the available resources; risk reduction; and renewable flow of resources and products (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017; Twigger, 2016). First, the preservation of the natural capital implies a reasonable use of natural resources as well as good labor conditions. This results in the optimization of the available resources, which are—currently—overexploited by different industries. Risk reduction is also related to the above in the primary sense that we could not survive without natural resources. By overexploiting resources, there is no time for their regeneration, which has a negative impact on the ecosystem. Finally, the renewable flow of resources and products is evidenced over time. Once we acknowledge time as an essential factor in every part of the production and consumption process, it becomes clear that a truly beneficial solution for the majority is to allow more time to produce goods and services that generate a positive impact on the environment, the societies, and the global economies.

Nudie Jeans is a Swedish brand that manufactures and sells jeans based on a philosophy of intimacy, both with the garment and with customer communication. On its Website (nudiejeans.com) you can find out where and how garments are manufactured. Moreover, the brand describes its raw materials for each product, means of transport and packaging in each stage, country of origin, and suppliers. The brand is focused on transparency to build a bond of trust and intimacy with its customers.

1.3. Need for circular economy

As we have explained, to start curbing the dramatic effect of human activity on the planet, it is essential to develop an industry that considers each and every element involved.

The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, since it uses a resource-intensive supply chain that causes massive waste and releases a large amount of toxic substances that pollute air, water, and soil (Leonas, 2017). This has an impact on industry workers—who, in turn, have excessively long working hours in unhealthy conditions, in many cases risking their lives to produce more clothes at a lower cost—and on the inhabitants of the place where they operate.

Each stage of textile product life cycle generates large amounts of waste, which are currently discarded. Since—as mentioned earlier—the textile industry is part of a fashion system that promotes mass and fast consumption, people buy clothes to wear for a short period of time, so they quickly become textile waste. Waste consists of material that reaches the end of its life cycle for an individual or organization, which is generally disposed of, along with other wastes, in a landfill, which, in turn, creates problems for the environment and other sectors of society (Radhakrishnan, 2017). Textile waste can be classified into three categories (Vadicherla et al., 2017; Radhakrishnan, 2017):

1. • Preconsumer textile wastes: They are the remains of every production process. In the textile and fashion sector, these consist of pieces of fabric, leather, and other raw materials discarded during the textile processes.
2. • Postconsumer textile wastes: They are clothes no longer desirable for the user due to aesthetic, functional purpose, or fashion reasons, or because they are torn. Generally, in the best case scenario, these garments are mended and sold as secondhand clothes in developing countries.
3. • Postindustrial textile wastes: They are generated during the manufacturing processes. These may be gases, liquids, or solids. Among them, we can mention dyes and chemicals dumped into water streams, the carbon footprint of every process and transport, etc.

As posed by the circular economy concept, mass garment consumption entails a purchase decision process rather shorter than the conscious purchase of clothes. Therefore, time is one of the essential factors. There is a ...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of contributors
• 1. Introduction and the concept of circular economy
• 2. Circular fashion
• 3. Tools for circular economy: Review and some potential applications for the Philippine textile industry
• 4. 3Rs and circular economy
• 5. Upcycled and low-cost sustainable business for value-added textiles and fashion
• 6. Circular economy: A necessary (r)evolution
• 7. Sustainable business strategies and circular economy
• 8. Systems and models for circular economy
• 9. Circular economy in textiles and fashion—the role of a consumer
• 10. Future for circular economy
• Index