Environmentally Sustainable Apparel Acquisition and Disposal Behaviours among Slovenian Consumers

Abstract

Fibre production and textile processing comprise various industries that consume large amounts of energy and resources. Textiles are a largely untapped consumer commodity with a strong reuse and recycling potential, still fibres and fibre containing products ends up in landfill sites or in waste incinerators to a large extent. Reuse and recycle of waste clothing results in reduction in the environmental burden. Between 3% and 4% of the municipal solid waste stream in Slovenia is composed of apparel and textiles. This exploratory study examines consumer practices regarding purchase and the disposal of apparel in Slovenia. Data were collected through structured online survey from a representative random sample of 535 consumers. Responses to online questionnaire indicated the use of a variety of textile purchase and disposal methods. The influence of different sociodemographic variables on apparel purchase, disposal and recycling behaviour was examined. Moreover, the differences in the frequency of apparel recycling between consumers with and without an apparel bank available nearby were explored. This research was conducted, since it is crucial to analyse the means by which consumers are currently disposing their textile waste in order to plan the strategies that would encourage them to further reduce the amount of apparel sent to landfills.

Implementing the Requirements of ISO 9001 and Improvement Logistics Processes in SMES Which Operate in the Textile Industry

“…Therefore, these enterprises ought to implement solutions in the sphere of production and logistics, aiming at restoration of the value of the used products and their reintroduction to the market. Creating a green image has become a significant element of the supply chain strategy [18] in the textile industry.…”

A United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals perspective for sustainable textile and apparel supply chain management

“…From the perspective of consumers’ disposal behaviours, Žurga et al (2015) further investigate the Slovenian consumers’ behaviours in apparel purchasing and disposing. The authors find that the environmental conscious consumers prefer “repair and redecoration” as eco-friendly behaviours and waste apparel are mostly donated in the Slovenia.…”

Fostering sustainable consumer behavior regarding clothing: Assessing trends on purchases, recycling and disposal

“…A considerable number of consumers give their unwanted textile waste to charity shops (Hiller, 2010). In the recycling units, clothes are sorted and sent to Africa, East Europe and Asia, where they are reused; the items that cannot be sold or donated are transformed into cleaning rags or sold to other industries (Domina and Koch, 2002;Žurga et al, 2015). Thus, whereas some textiles are disposed of, there is a significant part that that is recycled or reused, depending on the needs and the facilities offered by the industry and country.…”

“…22 In the disposal phase, landfilling of waste textiles creates a further problem related to the decomposition of fibers. 18…”