Search Results (19)

Microbial-derived materials are emerging for applications in biomedicine, sensors, food, cosmetics, construction, and fashion. They offer considerable structural properties and process reproducibility compared to other bio-based materials. However, challenges related to efficient and sustainable large-scale production of microbial-derived materials must be addressed to exploit their potential fully. This review analyzes the synergistic contribution of circular, sustainable, and biotechnological approaches to enhance bacterial cellulose (BC) production and fine-tune its physico-chemical properties. BC was chosen as an ideal example due to its mechanical strength and chemical stability, making it promising for industrial applications. The review discusses upcycling strategies that utilize waste for microbial fermentation, simultaneously boosting BC production. Additionally, biotechnology techniques are identified as key to enhance BC yield and tailor its physico-chemical properties. Among the different areas where cellulose-based materials are employed, BC shows promise for mitigating the environmental impact of the garment industry. The review emphasizes that integrating circular and biotechnological approaches could significantly improve large-scale production and enhance the tunability of BC properties. Additionally, these approaches may simultaneously provide environmental benefits, depending on their future progresses. Future advancements should prioritize circular fermentation and biotechnological techniques to expand the potential of BC for sustainable industrial applications. Full article

Upcycling is identified as a process of the transformation of waste materials to which it is possible to give a value of artistic or environmental quality. To date, the greatest use of upcycling can be found in the design, art and fashion sectors. As in other sectors, one of the biggest challenges in the construction industry in the future is the search for new ways to reuse discarded materials. In this sense, upcycling is a new technique for the recovery of removed waste but with a much lower use of energy and resources than the regeneration of recycled material. With respect to these issues, the aim of this paper is to present the results of a design experimentation aimed at defining methodologies and tools for the reuse of building components from the decommissioning or renovation processes of existing buildings, with an approach that integrates both the disassembling and the re-assembling of construction elements, in line with the sustainable development and climate neutrality goals that the European Union aims to achieve by 2050. The methodology used made use of a field experiment by means of the creation of a prototype that made it possible to evaluate the results of the study which, if on the one hand made it possible to define an appropriate procedure for upcycling, on the other hand highlighted how these procedures save energy and reduce the emission of CO₂ in the environment. In this specific case, the experimentation gave the following results: energy savings 2038.92 kWh; CO₂ reduction 641.80 kg compared to a similar intervention from scratch. Therefore, the definition of a replicable and scalable operational process for the upcycling activity applied to architecture allows, by means of the reuse of those building materials and construction elements that still have a useful life, and which can, therefore, be used in the field of architecture, for a profitable contribution to the development of sustainable procedures in the field of architecture and the circular economy. Full article

Characterized by inexpensive and readily available products, fast fashion has increased the consumption and disposal of clothing, for which criticism has been significant due to its negative environmental and social impact. Therefore, transitioning to sustainable business models (SBMs) that balance profit with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is critical. This study explores sustainable value propositions in Polish Zero Waste fashion businesses, addressing the gap in research on SBMs. It also employs the theory of organizational paradoxes to examine tensions between profit maximization and CSR. Data were collected from 249 Polish Zero Waste companies listed on mapazerowaste.pl and analyzed through content analysis and statistical methods. Additionally, 21 YouTube videos from 2020 to 2022 were examined to study sustainable fashion promotion. Multiple coding and categorization schemes were used to identify themes, followed by frequency analysis and correspondence analysis. Second-hand clothing emerged as the most common value proposition (120 companies), reflecting consumer trends in resale. The repair sector with cobbler and leather repair services (55 companies) also showed a strong presence, highlighting demand for tailoring and upcycling services Rental services (2 companies) remain niche due to limited consumer acceptance. Promotion efforts on YouTube focus on building awareness of fast fashion’s impacts and teaching sustainable behaviors. Sustainable value propositions, exemplified by Polish Zero Waste businesses, synthesize profit and CSR strategies, addressing organizational paradoxes. These findings inform strategies to balance financial and socio-environmental goals, with implications for policy and practice in advancing sustainable fashion. Full article

The overconsumption of clothing has detrimental impacts on society and the environment. For consumers, reducing consumption is complicated by the vital role that clothing plays in individual expression. This study examined the influence of personal values and clothing style confidence on consumers’ interest in upcycled clothing. An online Internet survey was used to gather data from a valid sample of 565 U.S. residents. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Schwartz’s self-transcendence and self-enhancement values were modeled as antecedents to clothing style confidence (CSC), which is a multi-dimensional construct composed of five factors, including (1) style longevity, (2) aesthetic perceptive ability, (3) creativity, (4) appearance importance, and (5) authenticity. CSC was predicted to mediate the relationship between self-transcendence and self-enhancement values and interest in upcycled clothing, including the purchase of upcycled clothing and interest in learning how to upcycle clothing. Findings showed that CSC mediated the relationship between self-self-transcendence and self-enhancement values and interest in upcycled clothing, as predicted according to value–attitude–behavior theory. Results suggest that bolstering consumers’ confidence in personal style may provide intrinsic motivation for change, empowering individuals to embrace their personal style rather than follow fashion trends. Full article

In recent times, clothing upcycling has emerged as a sustainable solution to tackling textile waste. Despite its popularity, there remains a limited understanding of the factors driving individuals’ upcycling behavior. This study delves into the determinants of clothing upcycling behavior within the Japanese population. Administered via an online survey involving 433 participants in Japan, this research utilized structural equation modeling to assess a theoretical model that integrates personal norms, attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention within the theory of planned behavior. The outcomes reveal that both personal norms and perceived behavioral control exert a substantial influence on individuals’ intentions to participate in upcycling activities. Interestingly, the impact of attitude on upcycling intentions is moderate, while subjective norms surprisingly showed no significant influence. These findings contribute to the pro-environmental behavior literature and can guide the development of focused interventions that promote sustainable fashion consumption through upcycling. Full article

The Brazilian fashion industry is the country’s second-largest generator of direct and indirect jobs. Despite Brazilian design being a world reference mainly for prints and summer-related collections, it is also the second most polluting industry in the country. We investigated the factors that impact adopting a circular economy in the textile industry using an association of a SWOT analysis and the AHP approach. We analyzed the adoption of a circular economy in the apparel industry. The opportunities, strengths, weaknesses, and threats were associated using the evaluators’ comparison of the selected SWOT items related to the application of a circular economy in the conventional apparel industry were used as criteria for the AHP approach. The case study used managers from two intimate apparel industries in northeastern Brazil and four academics in Production Engineering. By applying the concepts to the case study, we found that expanding products, upcycling, and increasing sustainability were the three vital criteria for reaching a circular economy in the studied apparel industry. Full article

Large quantities of second-hand clothing have been exported from the Global North to the Global South in recent decades, placing a heavy social and environmental burden on local communities. Consequently, countries in the Global South are leveraging indigenous craftsmanship through various practices, such as care, repair, and upcycling, to enable durability and extend product life, saving millions of garments from landfills. However, this knowledge is not included in global narratives on durability and the circular economy. Moreover, the Global North dominates the conversation, often leaving out the social dimension and risking a circular transition from achieving important goals such as decent jobs to reducing the unequal distribution of negative environmental and social impacts. This study examines the trinary interrelationship between circularity, garment durability, and just transition through an integrative literature review. The review revealed several key findings. Firstly, the authors posit that garment durability is an ongoing interaction between the garment and its changing environment(s) and user(s), enabling it to move through different life cycles via the practices of care, mending, and repair. Secondly, all three concepts must place people at the heart of the fashion industry to ensure a just and circular transition. Full article

The practices of reuse and repurposing as sustainability measures are on the rise, particularly in the Global North, emphasizing environmental sustainability. In the Global South, however, the approach to circularity is more inclined towards livelihoods, employment, and education. In the North, remanufacturing and upcycling have been instrumental in promoting sustainable design and manufacturing. Research on circular fashion in Africa, however, tends to be limited to the second-hand clothing market, with a lack of focus on remanufacturing and upcycling as part of circular fashion practice. Thus, this study aimed to explore perspectives on the challenges and enablers of sustainable fashion manufacturing, specifically focusing on remanufacturing and upcycling, within four Cape Town-based fashion businesses. This study also aimed to build upon a previously established conceptual framework, identifying the key barriers and drivers using a tool from the Theory of Constraints. The findings suggested that funding is the primary driving force behind sustainable manufacturing practices, whereas a lack of education on remanufacturing and upcycling was identified as the main barrier. Full article

This study aims to examine consumer intention to purchase eco-friendly, handcrafted fashion products made from upcycled clothing and traditional Indonesian batik fabric. Data were collected via an online questionnaire with 289 participants, including both Indonesian and non-Indonesian consumers. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling in SmartPLS 3. The results showed that fashion motivation and perceived value positively impacted the intention to purchase this type of product for personal use and for gifting. The perceived price had a positive effect on purchase intention for gifting. Altruistic motivations affected attitudes but not purchase intentions. Differences were identified between national and foreign consumers regarding the impact of price perception on attitudes and personal purchase intentions. The study provides practical implications for small businesses, artisan crafts, and entrepreneurs. Full article

With the rise of the circular economy, recycling, and upcycling is an emerging sustainable system in the fashion industry, emphasising a closed loop of “design, produce, use, and recycle”. In this context, this paper will explore community-based approaches to scale up clothing reuse and upcycling under a social innovation perspective. This study aims to establish community-based practice models, which contribute toward promoting a greater understanding of sustainable fashion and achieving collaborative cocreation frameworks for community stakeholders. This paper, therefore, takes a social innovation perspective to conduct design studies helping with the technical (problem-solving) and cultural (sense-making) barriers that clothing reuse and upcycling face. The research was conducted in the context of the Shanghai community, and a large amount of first-hand research data were obtained through field research, expert and user interviews, and participatory workshops. Finally, this research establishes a platform proposal which combines strategic service design and practical toolkit design. It is a new community-based service model highlighting a significant advancement in the degree of collaboration and cocreation in traditional community service models. Additionally, it dramatically demonstrates the potential of socially innovative design thinking in promoting circular fashion and the closed-loop fashion system. Full article

Due to environmental concerns, an increasing number of Chinese consumers have begun to resist fast fashion, promoting cheap and lower quality materials with a short lifetime. A shift from a linear economic model to a circular fashion has become an urgent issue for the industry. To examine how brand stereotype affects consumers’ purchasing intention toward upcycled fabric clothing, this study adopted a grounded theory approach to develop the dimensions of brand stereotypes, including product, manufacturing process, service, and communication. Furthermore, a theoretical model was constructed incorporating brand stereotypes, brand green trust, fashion consciousness, and green consciousness. Results from structural equation model analysis indicated that (1) each dimension of brand stereotypes had a significantly positive impact on behavior intention, and especially product and service image have the most influence; (2) brand green trust mediated the relationship between brand stereotypes and buying intention, and (3) green consciousness positively moderated the relationship between brand stereotype and trust, whereas brand warmth in communication and trust was moderated negatively by fashion consciousness. The findings offer implications for the implementation of the green branding strategy, brand positioning, and cultivating consumers’ green awareness to improve market acceptance of upcycled fabric clothing. Full article

Sustainability and ethical consumption have emerged as essential topics globally in the carbon-neutral era. The adoption of eco-friendly production and distribution methods have been prominent in the fashion industry as well. This study performed a qualitative case study analysis based on a literature review and in-depth expert interviews. The search yielded ten keywords reflecting how value producers pursue sustainable fashion. These keywords are “eco-friendly”, “recycled”, “vegan”, “upcycled”, “zero waste”, “local production”, “fair trade”, “women-owned”, “gives back” and “animal protection”. The values are divided into five core environmental values and five core social values. Based on in-depth interviews with domestic sustainable fashion experts, the core values and detailed standards of sustainable fashion were specified and presented as practical values. These values were also applied to the Market Gredit platform, an integrated e-commerce platform for sustainable fashion brands in South Korea. This research contributes to improving the environmental and social impacts throughout the value chain of the fashion industry by presenting the core values and detailed standards of sustainable fashion suitable for communication with consumers. Full article

Sustainable fashion refers to efforts to minimize the fashion industry’s adverse environmental and social impacts. This entry describes the industry’s entire production chain: from polyester production, cotton growth and wasteful fashion consumption patterns to landfilling, where so many clothes end up. The entry characterizes the drivers behind the industry’s poor record regarding sustainability and employee exploitation, as well as new policies around the world designed to improve the industry’s performance These include the Australian Modern Slavery law, the French law prohibiting the destruction of textile surpluses and the New York Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act. Full article

Experimentation with, and the implementation of, circular business models (CBMs) has gained rapid traction within the textiles and fashion industry over the last five years. Substitution of virgin materials with bioderived alternatives, extending the lifecycle of garments through resale, and rental services and the recycling or upcycling of garments are some of the strategies being used to reduce the 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and 92 million tonnes of waste associated with the sector in 2017. However, whilst CBMs demonstrate environmental and economic benefits, low consumer acceptance is considered by business professionals and policymakers to be one of the main barriers to the transition towards a circular economy. Digitisation is widely acknowledged as a catalyst for innovation in many sectors and digital technologies are driving new ways to exchange and share goods and services, enabling companies to match the supply, and demand for, otherwise underused assets and products. Online platforms, in particular, have played a crucial role in driving the growth of used goods and resale in other consumer goods markets, such as consumer technology. A mixed methods approach, including a review of 40 organisations operating second hand fashion models, a consumer survey of over 1200 respondents and in-depth interviews with 10 organisations operating second hand fashion models, is adopted to reveal (a) the barriers to consumer acceptance of reuse models in the fashion industry, and (b) how digital technologies can overcome these barriers. Findings highlight the significant progress that organisations have made in using digitalisation, including data analytics, algorithms, digital platforms, advanced product imagery and data informed customer communications, to address barriers associated with convenience, hygiene, trust and security. Furthermore, the study identifies opportunities for the development of more sophisticated digital technologies to support increased transparency and address concerns associated with the quality, authenticity and sourcing of materials. Positioned at the interface of digitisation and consumer acceptance of circular business models, this study makes an important contribution to understanding consumer barriers and how to address them and concludes with a set of recommendations for practitioners. Full article

This study seeks to advance upcycling methods in fashion practice with the specificity of design methods that centre on revaluation and resignification of waste materials. The development of three key approaches to upcycling were tested for future application as design briefs and pedagogies in practice and education. These were developed through the acquisition, sorting and selection of a large sample of secondhand, consumer waste materials across fashion and textiles sectors. Practice-based experiments and the use of different forms of photo documentation examined and explored distinct ways to creatively understand waste material properties, conditions and potential. Fashion and material studies frameworks of object biographies, wardrobe studies, waste, secondhand material economies and art practice approaches of reclaimed materials expanded and refined the approaches. “Material Inventories” is proposed as a creative and analytical method to identify, sort and annotate pre- and post-consumer waste materials. “Garment ontologies” delineates how traditionally “design” in fashion practice is separate from materials and production. These methods enable a deeper investigation into material qualities, conditions, and reuse potential for extended life cycles. This experimental study presents novel and relevant findings with a compelling material sample and practice-based methods adjacent to scholarship in this area that are predominately theoretical- or case study-based. Full article