From Textile Waste to Resource: A Methodological Approach of Research and Experimentation

The transition to a circular economy shifts the focus onto reusing, renewing and recycling existing materials and products, considering waste as a resource. In this context, this article aims to describe the life cycle approach’s potential for the development of new building products from textile wa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2020-12, Vol.12 (24), p.10667
Main Authors: Tedesco, Silvia, Montacchini, Elena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
By products
Consumption
Emissions
Environmental impact
Experimental research
Experimentation
Fashion
Manufacturing
Process planning
Questionnaires
Raw materials
Recycled materials
Recycling
Research projects
Small & medium sized enterprises-SME
Small business
Supply chains
Sustainability
Textile industry wastes
Textiles
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Summary:The transition to a circular economy shifts the focus onto reusing, renewing and recycling existing materials and products, considering waste as a resource. In this context, this article aims to describe the life cycle approach’s potential for the development of new building products from textile waste, one of the most environmentally impacting activities at a global level, both in relation to the processes that characterise the supply chain and in relation to pre- and post-consumption waste. This article outlines the research methodology adopted by the cluster “From textile waste to resource” of the Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, through the description of research projects carried out in partnership with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). In particular, it highlights the methodological approach adopted in a “grave to cradle” logic, in which the waste from one process becomes a new resource for another. This article highlights some open issues related to the limits and potential of the use of the life cycle approach as a “tool” to compare different options in a preliminary experimental research phase, to verify the environmental impacts of new materials and products made from recycled materials, and to compare new options with similar solutions available on the market.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su122410667