On Methodology and the Philosophy of Science in Textile

Management A2MV1D M73H3 HT2023

Sumaia Islam Trisha - S2307265
Report on- Individual Assignment
 PART-I

Textile Waste Recycling: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions

Textile output has expanded considerably during the last two decades, reaching almost 100 million metric
tons (Mt) produced in 2020, about double that produced in 2000 and triple the production of 1970
(Schumacher and Forster, 2022). Over the years, the textile industry continues to grow and contribute to
the global economy but on the other hand textile waste has increased tremendously. Currently, it is the
second most polluting industry, producing 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent per year. (Textile Recycling:
Drivers & Challenges, 2022). Population growth, rising living standards, a wider range of textile
materials, and shorter product life cycles all contributed to increased worldwide fiber use, which
generates a large amount of post-industrial and post-consumer fiber waste (Juanga-Labayen, Labayen and
Yuan, 2022). The growth of globalization has increased demand which led to higher garment production
but at lower prices. A huge number of consumers have leaned towards Fast Fashion. And they think that
clothes a very disposable. Fast fashion characterized by mass production, variety, agility, and affordability
has brought about a surge of apparel consumption (Juanga-Labayen, Labayen and Yuan, 2022). The
fashion business is one of the most unsustainable. When unsold or at the end of their useful lives, billions
of pieces of clothes are simply wasted, ending up in landfills or incinerators. According to McKinsey and
the World Economic Forum, annual garment output has more than doubled since 2000. This will
dramatically increase the amount of waste generated, putting an increasing load on landfills. Every year,
over 85% of textiles end up in landfills (Nidhi, 2023). As public awareness of the serious environmental
repercussions of textiles grows, there has been a significant surge in textile recycling in recent years. As a
result, there is a greater need for the advancement of recycling technologies that may be applied across
specific fibers or fiber mixes. To recycle textiles, several technologies have been developed, including
mechanical, chemical, thermo-mechanical, thermo-chemical, and biochemical processes (Nidhi, 2023).
Textile waste recycling and reuse promotes environmental sustainability. The recycling strategies that
have the least negative effects on the environment and maximize the conservation of resources including
raw materials, water, and energy include upcycling and closed-loop recycling (Juanga-Labayen, Labayen
and Yuan, 2022).

The purpose of the study is to explore the challenges of textile waste recycling and how those challenges
can be overcome. Also finding sustainable solutions that focus on circularity and environment friendly
systems. The proposed research question that guides this study is “How can the textile and fashion
industry overcome the challenges of textile waste recycling and take sustainable solutions to embrace
circular and environment friendly systems?”

This research has relevance because in the expanded body part, the knowledge of textile waste recycling
and long-term solutions are discussed, as well as practical guidance for organizations that are trying to
improve their textile waste. The study intends to investigate the difficulties associated with textile waste
recycling and how they might be overcome by focusing on circular and ecologically friendly methods
(Schumacher and Forster, 2022). By adopting a more circular economic model, where materials and
products are preserved within the cycles of repair, recycling, and reuse, the industry may be able to reduce
its environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable future (Schumacher and Forster, 2022).

The data will be gathered from a company who are currently facing problems with textile waste recycling
and from a company that has found a sustainable solution. A quantitative analysis will be done to find the
research question. To ensure that the results are representative of the population of manufacturing
enterprises, the sample size must be sufficient. A small sample of manufacturing enterprises should be
pretested for the validity and reliability of the survey instrument. The survey should mention waste
recycling, circularity, sustainable approaches and challenges.

PART-II

The Literature Search

The literature search should include reports, case studies, and other relevant publications from business,
environmental, and governmental sources in addition to academic journals. This multi-pronged approach
ensures a thorough study of the subject. Although there are many distinct types of literature reviews, they
all begin with a search of the literature. A systematic strategy produces an ordered, sequential process for
searching the literature. When a research question, or set of questions, is well specified, it is easier to
create a search. For this topic, a wide search, often referred to as a broad search, is designed to find as
many relevant research papers in the field of recycling textile waste as possible.

The literature search should cover technological advancements, environmental repercussions, economic
factors, and societal ramifications. It is possible to have a comprehensive understanding of the issues and
long-term fixes by carefully choosing and combining key terms related to the elements of recycling
discarded textiles.

To find the necessary literature using the proper key is the most important. The complex process of
searching the literature on the recycling of textile waste requires a deliberate and planned approach.
Keywords, Boolean operators, wildcards, and shortenings are crucial resources for locating pertinent
content. Boolean operators such as AND, NOT, and OR aid in search refinement by noting variations in
word forms. Wildcards, for example, use symbols in the search query to identify variations in word forms.
Truncation ensures inclusivity by capturing variations of a phrase by inserting a truncation mark to the
end of a word stem. Such as- “textile waste” or “fashion waste”

The keywords that were used in searching for the using-

● Fashion waste
● Textile waste
● Sustainable waste management
● Challenges of textile and fashion waste
● Solution of textile waste
 ● Circularity approach to textile waste management.
● Textile waste management.
PART-III

The Article Overview

Chosen Article: Exploring the Business Case for Textile-to-Textile Recycling Using
Post-Consumer Waste in the US: Challenges and Opportunities.

[McCauley, E. and Jestratijevic, I., 2023. Exploring the Business Case for Textile-to-Textile
Recycling Using Post-Consumer Waste in the US: Challenges and Opportunities. Sustainability,
[online] 15(2), p.1473. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021473.]

1. A brief overview of the paper:

The goal of this study is to determine whether it would be profitable to recycle textile waste from
consumers into new textiles in the United States. It attempts to address issues with scaling textile
waste feedstocks and processing waste into new fibers, investigate the dynamics between waste
dealers and recyclers, and offer theoretical and practical underpinnings for successful
interventions (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023). Eleven senior leaders from textile sorting and
fiber recycling organizations participated in semi-structured interviews, and the results showed
that the main obstacles to advancement are commercial ones. The waste issue may be solved by
growing market partnerships to increase the range of target feedstocks, but funding and
infrastructure development in the US are still unknown. There are no indications that the amount
of textile waste piling up in US landfills will stop (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023).

2. Describe the purpose, type of research, and research process:

The post-consumer textile waste market in the US is examined in this study, along with its
sustainable solutions and obstacles. It highlights the negative effects of poor recovery rates on
the environment by classifying textile waste into post-industrial, pre-consumer, and
post-consumer categories (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023). The goal of the study is to
demonstrate how recycling post-consumer textile waste may lower carbon footprints and support
the circular economy. The economic potential and obstacles to recycling technology in this
industry are also covered. The study used a multidisciplinary methodology, integrating
economics, environmental science, and industrial analysis, with a particular emphasis on the
circular textile value chain (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023). It makes use of both qualitative
and quantitative information about stakeholder interactions, market dynamics, and technological
barriers in addition to quantitative data on textile waste generation and recovery rates (McCauley
and Jestratijevic, 2023). A thorough analysis of the post-consumer textile waste ecosystem is
necessary before any research can be conducted. Classifying waste types, calculating volume and
recovery rates, and examining key ideas like the circular textile value chain, economic potential,
and barriers to recycling technologies are all necessary. Investigations of the post-consumer
textile waste market's dynamics are also necessary (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023).

3. Give an account and critically reflect on the research process:

The goal of the study process is to examine the viability of recycling textile waste from
consumers into new textiles. The study's main objectives are to comprehend obstacles to
expanding waste feedstock, investigate the dynamics between trash dealers and recyclers and lay
the groundwork for successful interventions (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023). The research
technique includes in-depth semi-structured interviews with post-consumer textile waste dealers
and recycling entities, while the literature review classifies textile waste and emphasizes its
environmental impact. Online interviews covering a range of company topics, including
organization details, textile volumes, price, competitiveness, incentives, and problems, were
done as part of the data collection process in October 2021 (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023).
In the data analysis process, Otter ai pro software, a grounded theory technique, continual
comparisons, and note writing are utilized to enhance concepts and check the authenticity of
findings (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023). When data from recyclers and traders is
triangulated, the results become more trustworthy. The study methodology exhibits a strong
approach to addressing research objectives, employing a combination of qualitative techniques,
triangulation, and a grounded theory approach to improve the findings' validity. The inclusion of
many viewpoints from dealers and recyclers provides a comprehensive picture of the complex
textile waste ecosystem (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023). A bigger sample size and a more
in-depth assessment of potential remedies and policy implications, on the other hand, could be
useful to the study. The research approach efficiently navigates the complexities of the
post-consumer textile waste market, giving valuable insights into the industry's challenges and
dynamics (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023).

4. Give a brief account of the reliability, and validity of the research and critically
reflect on these aspects, including my perspective:

The research on post-consumer textile waste in the United States identifies five main challenges:
Negative Process Economics, Commercialization Struggles, Competitive Advantages,
Establishing Accountability for Leading Change, and Blocks Due to Current Market Dynamics
(McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023). Challenges include complexities in recycling processes,
pricing misalignments, and profit structure uncertainty. Competitive advantages include
intellectual property positions, technological advancements, scalability, waste ownership, and
corporate know-how (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023). Accountability challenges arise in
choosing leaders and prioritizing regulatory assistance. The study emphasizes the need for
stakeholder involvement, financial incentives, and collaboration to address the large amount of
textile waste (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023). Theoretical implications suggest feedstock
uniformity and a cascading strategy to waste reduction, emphasizing fiber value. Practical
consequences highlight the importance of collaboration, regulatory support, and market
dynamics clarity. The study's reliability and validity are questioned due to its comprehensive
strategy and thematic categories (McCauley and Jestratijevic, 2023). However, biases may
develop due to sample selection, lack of quantitative analysis, and lack of specific statistics on
sample size and demography. Future research could use a larger and more diverse sample,
incorporate quantitative data, and involve a broader range of industry participants (McCauley
and Jestratijevic, 2023).

5. Two future quantitative research directions:

As the research has still some limitations, for future studies few additional research can be done.
This will make us more aware of how to reduce textile waste in every sector and how consumers
make new adaptations.

1. Implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility

2. Rates of Recycling Adoption and Consumer Behavior
Reference:

1. Anon 2022. Textile Recycling: Drivers & Challenges. [online] AFRY. Available at:
<https://afry.com/en/insight/textile-recycling-drivers-challenges>. [Accessed 09 January 2024].
2. Juanga-Labayen, J.P., Labayen, I.V. and Yuan, Q., 2022. A Review on Textile Recycling Practices
and Challenges. Textiles, [online] 2(1), pp.174–188. https://doi.org/10.3390/textiles2010010.
[Accessed 10 January 2024].
3. McCauley, E. and Jestratijevic, I., 2023. Exploring the Business Case for Textile-to-Textile
Recycling Using Post-Consumer Waste in the US: Challenges and Opportunities. Sustainability,
[online] 15(2), p.1473. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021473. [Accessed 15 January 2024].
4. Nidhi, A., 2023. Textile Recycling: Techniques and Challenges. [online] Fibre2Fashion. Available
at:
<https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/9777/textile-recycling-techniques-and-challenge
s>. [Accessed 11 January 2024].
5. Schumacher, K.A. and Forster, A.L., 2022. Textiles in a circular economy: An assessment of the
current landscape, challenges, and opportunities in the United States. Frontiers in Sustainability,
[online] 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2022.1038323. [Accessed 11 January 2024].