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Sustainability
Volume 18
Issue 1
10.3390/su18010351
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Circular Economy in Safety and Protective Textiles: Feasibility and Prospects for Recycling Used Firefighting Protective Clothing

by
Xing Zhang
1,2,
Hongjing Zhong
2,
Zhenhao Sun
2,
Hu Gu
3,
Huifang Zhang
4,
Xiaoxian Wang
2,
Wenhao Wu
2,
Hanxiao Niu
2,
Yixuan Wei
1,
Qilong Sun
1,2 and
Wei Ye
1,2,*
1
National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Technical Fiber Composites for Safety and Protection, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
2
College of Textiles and Clothing, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
3
Hangzhou Institute of Quality & Metrology, Hangzhou 310000, China
4
Zhejiang Institute of Quality Sciences, Hangzhou 310018, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010351 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 21 November 2025 / Revised: 15 December 2025 / Accepted: 24 December 2025 / Published: 29 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Waste and Recycling)
Versions Notes

Abstract

In response to mounting resource and environmental pressures in the textile industry, this study investigates the feasibility of fiber-to-fiber closed-loop recycling for used firefighting protective clothing—a waste stream characterized by material homogeneity and large-scale disposal. Employing a mixed-methods approach combining stakeholder questionnaires, field investigations (n = 3650), and performance testing of retired aramid fabrics, this research systematically evaluates the technical, market, and systemic potential for circular regeneration. Results demonstrate strong multi-stakeholder support (over 89%) and significant consumer willingness to purchase recycled products (81.01–84% across categories), while material tests confirm the retained flame resistance and mechanical properties of the fabrics, enabling high-value applications. By constructing an integrated framework spanning technical, policy, market, and cultural dimensions, and proposing strategies of “targeted recycling” and “value reconstruction,” this work confirms the commercial viability and environmental benefit of recycling firefighting gear. It further offers a transferable model for advancing the circularity of other safety and protective textiles, with key innovations lying in its comprehensive full-chain assessment and the concurrent validation of stakeholder dynamics and material performance.
Keywords: used firefighting protective clothing; recycling; fiber-to-fiber; market research; product design used firefighting protective clothing; recycling; fiber-to-fiber; market research; product design

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, X.; Zhong, H.; Sun, Z.; Gu, H.; Zhang, H.; Wang, X.; Wu, W.; Niu, H.; Wei, Y.; Sun, Q.; et al. Circular Economy in Safety and Protective Textiles: Feasibility and Prospects for Recycling Used Firefighting Protective Clothing. Sustainability 2026, 18, 351. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010351

AMA Style

Zhang X, Zhong H, Sun Z, Gu H, Zhang H, Wang X, Wu W, Niu H, Wei Y, Sun Q, et al. Circular Economy in Safety and Protective Textiles: Feasibility and Prospects for Recycling Used Firefighting Protective Clothing. Sustainability. 2026; 18(1):351. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010351

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Xing, Hongjing Zhong, Zhenhao Sun, Hu Gu, Huifang Zhang, Xiaoxian Wang, Wenhao Wu, Hanxiao Niu, Yixuan Wei, Qilong Sun, and et al. 2026. "Circular Economy in Safety and Protective Textiles: Feasibility and Prospects for Recycling Used Firefighting Protective Clothing" Sustainability 18, no. 1: 351. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010351

APA Style

Zhang, X., Zhong, H., Sun, Z., Gu, H., Zhang, H., Wang, X., Wu, W., Niu, H., Wei, Y., Sun, Q., & Ye, W. (2026). Circular Economy in Safety and Protective Textiles: Feasibility and Prospects for Recycling Used Firefighting Protective Clothing. Sustainability, 18(1), 351. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010351

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