V (2019) An overview of the problems posed by plastic products and the role of extended producer responsibility in Europe.

The textile/apparel industry is of great importance to the economy in terms of trade, employment, investment and revenue all over the world. This sector is however characterised by substantial ulture on the other. This state of affairs suggests that textile recycling is needed. Apart from the environmental and ecological advantages which can be brought about by the re-use and recycling of textiles, there are many benefits of a socio-economicnature. This paper analyses current trends on textile recycling, the barriers impeding greater recycling, and outlines the socioeconomic advantages of moving towards a circular economy. Some examples of ongoing initiatives are discussed, together with some of the measures that may be used to further reduce the current waste deriving from the apparel sector.

No abstract

This paper summarises the results of a more than 5-year practice-led study on the use of upcycling design and production methods in garment mass production. The efficiency of upcycling design approach is described by analysing the generation and potential use of various types of fabric leftovers from garment manufacturing. The results of this research show that depending on the size of the factory the fabric leftovers and textile waste generated in garment production ranges from 25–40% of the total fabric used. Experiments show that 50% of that material can be upcycled into new garments and for some types of leftover—mainly spreading loss and excess fabric—it can even be up to 80%. Implementing upcycling on the industrial level requires transparency to understand the waste created in garment production and create designs that suite the production system. It is important to consider that the upcycling design process differs from regular design—a garment is designed based on the parameters of the waste materials.

In the present study two different sets of assumptions for future power production scenarios, one based on conventional technologies and another assuming a more sustainable energy oriented electricity production, for the Baltic States are analysed to identify the possible marginal electricity sources which could be used in consequential Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies in these countries. The environmental impacts of electricity production often account for a major portion of the total environmental burden in LCAs of many products and services. It is known that the environmental impacts of electricity production vary significantly between different energy sources, thus the choice of input data could significantly influence the final results of LCA studies. Therefore, it is important that the LCA practitioners and those who draw conclusions based on LCA studies have both an understanding about data sensitivity issues and the development of energy systems. In this article the implications of marginal data choices in LCA are discussed on the basis of a case study on energy production from municipal waste incineration in the Baltic States.