Sustainability and recycling opportunities in the textile and apparel sector

A significant increase in textile consumption has occurred as a result of global population growth and overall improvement of living standard. The total volume of textile and fashion production at the global level is estimated to be more than 80 million tons annually, and therefore improving the environmental performances of this industry is vital. Recycling of textile waste materials is gaining importance worldwide due to shortages of natural resources and increasing waste disposal costs. Assessments on sustainability of the textile and apparel sector as well as benchmark results focused on the environmental impacts of the most commonly used fibres in the fashion industry are given in this study. In addition to these, classification of textile wastes, waste management strategies, methods and practices for textile recycling are presented.