An article by an interdisciplinary team led by Kedron Thomas, associate professor of anthropology, and Kelly Cobb, associate professor of fashion, highlighting challenges and opportunities for the creation of a circular economy (CE) in the textile and apparel industry was recently published in the journal Sustainability. 

The paper presents the results of NSF-funded research into the perceptions industry stakeholders have of the significance and importance of textile circularity, the challenges that exist for transitioning from a linear system to a circular economy, and resources that exist to support this transition. In the current linear system garments are thrown away after their life cycle, while in a CE the life of the garment’s fibers are extended, either through repair, recycling or reuse, keeping them out of landfills for as long as possible.

The team found several immediate issues that should be addressed as first steps in a transition to a CE, including a consistent definition of CE; improved systems for materials identification, sorting, and pre-processing of post-consumer textile waste to enable recycling; innovations in mechanical recycling technologies to maintain the value of recycled materials; and new, materials-driven approaches to design and manufacturing that are responsive to feedstock variability and diverse consumer needs. The research findings also suggest the need for flexible, regional CEs that are rooted in community partnerships.

The article also highlights the team’s ReSpool project, a multiyear partnership between UD and industry leaders, government agencies and nonprofit entities, including Goodwill Industries. 

The collaborative team also includes Huantian Cao, chair, professor of fashion and apparel studies, and co-director with Cobb of UD’s  Sustainable Apparel Initiative, and Abigail Clarke-Sather, associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth and former UD faculty member, along with former graduate students Hira Durrani, Julia Brady, Michelle Yatvitskiy and Kendall Ludwig.

The research team also presented their work at the International Textile and Apparel Association conference in November 2024.