Sustainable fashion in the circular economy paradigm: Reduce, reuse and recycle as the new sustainable corporate strategy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13135/2704-9906/10383Keywords:
Fashion industry, sustainability, circular economy, product innovation, business models, corporate strategyAbstract
The aim of this paper is to analyse emerging trends in the fashion industry, focusing on the growing role the circular economy is playing in introducing a new business paradigm based on the so-called “3 Rs” principle: reduce, reuse and recycle. Six interesting cases studies are presented; three focus on fashion companies (Rifò, Rapanui and Cingomma) that base their business model on this circular economy principle, while the other three relate to companies (Orange Fiber, Ananas Anam, Due di Latte) using sustainable materials to produce fashion items. The careful selection of raw materials and the application of technological innovation in the production system allow companies to implement new sustainable approaches to production, resulting in two critical outcomes: recycled fashion products that can be reintegrated into the environment and the reuse of products that can be revalued without rather than wasted.
References
Abdelmeguid, A., Afy-Shararah, M., & Salonitis, K. (2022). Investigating the challenges of applying the principles of the circular economy in the fashion industry: A systematic review. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 32, 505-518.
Abdelmeguid, A., Afy-Shararah, M., & Salonitis, K. (2024). Mapping of the Circular Economy Implementation Challenges in the Fashion Industry: a Fuzzy-TISM Analysis. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 4(1), 585-617.
Ananas-anam (2020), https://www.ananas-anam.com/
Andrei, A. G., Gazzola, P., Zbuchea, A., & Alexandru, V. A. (2017). Modeling socially responsible consumption and the need for uniqueness: A PLS-SEM approach. Kybernetes, 46(8), 1325-1340.
Balena C. (2018), 10 startup che stanno cambiando il mondo della moda, Fortune Italia, https://www.fortuneita.com/2018/07/28/10-startup-che-stanno-cambiando-il-mondo-della-moda/
Battle, A., Ryding, D., & Henninger, C. E. (2018). Access-Based Consumption: A New Business Model for Luxury and Secondhand Fashion Business?. In Vintage Luxury Fashion (pp. 29-44). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Bengtsson, M., Alfredsson, E., Cohen, M., Lorek, S., & Schroeder, P. (2018). Transforming systems of consumption and production for achieving the sustainable development goals: moving beyond efficiency. Sustainability science, 13(6), 1533-1547.
BOF McKinsey (2021), The state of fashion 2021, McKinsey & Company
Brand-Correa, L. I., & Steinberger, J. K. (2022). Max-Neef and sustainability: theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions. International Journal of Sustainable Development, 25(1-2), 114-131.
Camilleri, M. A. (2018). Closing the loop for resource efficiency, sustainable consumption and production: A critical review of the circular economy. International Journal of Sustainable Development, 21(1-4), 1-17.
Cascante, M. Q., García, N. A., & Fold, N. (2022). The role of external forces in the adoption of aquaculture innovations: An ex-ante case study of fish farming in Colombia's southern Amazonian region. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174, 121185.
Chalmer C., Eder-Hansen J., Lehmann M., Tochtermann T. and Tärneberg. S.- CEO AGENDA - Global Fashion Agenda – (2018) – Pag 7-17 Available at: https://www.globalfashionagenda.com/ceo-agenda-2019/
Cingomma (2020), www.cingomma.com
Claxton, S., & Kent, A. (2020). The management of sustainable fashion design strategies: An analysis of the designer's role, in Journal of Cleaner Production, 268, 122112.
Colglazier, W. (2015). Sustainable development agenda: 2030. Science, 349(6252), 1048-1050.
Colombi, C., & D’Itria, E. (2023). Fashion digital transformation: innovating business models toward circular economy and sustainability. Sustainability, 15(6), 4942.
D’Adamo, I., Lupi, G., Morone, P., & Settembre-Blundo, D. (2022). Towards the circular economy in the fashion industry: the second-hand market as a best practice of sustainable responsibility for businesses and consumers. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(31), 46620-46633.
DeSimone, L. D., & Popoff, F. (2000). Eco-efficiency: the business link to sustainable development. MIT press.
Dissanayake, D. G. K., & Weerasinghe, D. (2021). Towards circular economy in fashion: Review of strategies, barriers and enablers. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 1-21.
Dymchenko, O., Gazzola, P., Pezzetti, R. R., & Severi, C. (2021). From food to fashion: reusing waste for promoting sustainable fashion. Economia Aziendale Online-, 12(4), 433-446
Due di Latte (2020), https://antonellabellina.wixsite.com/duedilatte
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building theories from case study research. Academy of management review, 14(4), 532-550.
Ethical Consumer (2021), https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/fashion-clothing/top-10-ethical-clothing-companies
European Environment Agency (2019), https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/textiles-in-europes-circular-economy
European Parliament (2023), https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/it/article/20151201STO05603/economia-circolare-definizione-importanza-e-vantaggi
Galatti, L. G., & Baruque-Ramos, J. (2022). Circular economy indicators for measuring social innovation in the Brazilian textile and fashion industry. Journal of Cleaner Production, 363, 132485.
Gasper, D., Shah, A., & Tankha, S. (2019). The framing of sustainable consumption and production in SDG 12. Global Policy, 10, 83-95.
Gazzola, P., Pavione, E., & Pezzetti, R. (2017, February). Sustainable consumption in the luxury industry: Towards a new paradigm in China's high-end demand. In Proceedings of the 2nd Czech-China Scientific Conference 2016. IntechOpen.
Gazzola, P. (2018). Behind the sharing economy: innovation and dynamic capability. In Knowledge Management in the Sharing Economy (pp. 75-94). Springer, Cham.
Gazzola, P., Pavione, E., Pezzetti, R., & Grechi, D. (2020). Trends in the fashion industry. The perception of sustainability and circular economy: A gender/generation quantitative approach. Sustainability, 12(7), 2809.
Gazzola, P., Pezzetti, R., Amelio, S., & Grechi, D. (2020b). Non-financial information disclosure in Italian public interest companies: A sustainability reporting perspective. Sustainability, 12(15), 6063.
Gazzola, P., Vătămănescu, E. M., Andrei, A. G., & Marrapodi, C. (2019). Users' motivations to participate in the sharing economy: Moving from profits toward sustainable development. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 26(4), 741-751.
Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., Bocken, N. M., & Hultink, E. J. (2017). The Circular Economy–A new sustainability paradigm?. Journal of cleaner production, 143, 757-768.
Gioia, D. A., Corley, K. G., & Hamilton, A. L. (2013). Seeking qualitative rigor in inductive research: Notes on the Gioia methodology. Organizational research methods, 16(1), 15-31.
Hahn, T., & Figge, F. (2011). Beyond the bounded instrumentality in current corporate sustainability research: Toward an inclusive notion of profitability. Journal of Business Ethics, 104(3), 325-345.
Henry, M., Bauwens, T., Hekkert, M., & Kirchherr, J. (2020). A typology of circular start-ups: An Analysis of 128 circular business models. Journal of cleaner production, 245, 118528.
Hu, S., Henninger, C. E., Boardman, R., & Ryding, D. (2019). Challenging Current Fashion Business Models: Entrepreneurship Through Access-Based Consumption in the Second-Hand Luxury Garment Sector Within a Circular Economy. In Sustainable Luxury (pp. 39-54). Springer, Singapore.
Hvass, K. K., & Pedersen, E. R. G. (2019). Toward circular economy of fashion. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal.
Jia, F., Yin, S., Chen, L., & Chen, X. (2020). The circular economy in the textile and apparel industry: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 259, 120728.
Kemp, R., Parto, S., & Gibson, R. B. (2005). Governance for sustainable development: moving from theory to practice. International journal of sustainable development, 8(1-2), 12-30.
Ki, C. W., Chong, S. M., & Ha‐Brookshire, J. E. (2020). How fashion can achieve sustainable development through a circular economy and stakeholder engagement: A systematic literature review, in Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(6), 2401-2424.
Kirchherr, J., Piscicelli, L., Bour, R., Kostense-Smit, E., Muller, J., Huibrechtse-Truijens, A., & Hekkert, M. (2018). Barriers to the circular economy: Evidence from the European Union (EU). Ecological economics, 150, 264-272.
Lacy, P., & Rutqvist, J. (2016). Waste to wealth: The circular economy advantage. Springer.
Lanzalonga, F., Marseglia, R., Irace, A., & Biancone, P. P. (2024). The application of artificial intelligence in waste management: understanding the potential of data-driven approaches for the circular economy paradigm. Management Decision.
Lava P. C., “Cingomma. Un nuovo “modo per fare moda”, quando il riciclo fa tendenza” 9thApril 2019, Alessandria Today
Leonas, K. K. (2017). The use of recycled fibers in fashion and home products. In Textiles and Clothing Sustainability (pp. 55-77). Springer, Singapore.
Loumish (2020), https://awards.loomish.ch/?p=3096
Luxiders (2021), https://luxiders.com/10-responsible-fashion-brands-made-italy/
Mahanty, S., & Domenech, T. (2024). Working along the value chain for circular economy transitions in fashion textiles: A participatory framework. Journal of Cleaner Production, 465, 142627.
Manzini E. (2008), Design para inovação social e sustentabilidade - Comunidades criativas, organizações colaborativas e novas redes projetuais/ Ezio Manzini; [coordenação de tradução Carla Cipolla; equipe Elisa Spampinato, Aline Lys Silva]. Rio de Janeiro: E-Papers, 2008 –16
Massaro, M., Dumay, J., & Bagnoli, C. (2019). Transparency and the rhetorical use of citations to Robert Yin in case study research. Meditari Accountancy Research, 27(1), 44-71.
Mcdonough W., Braungart M (2013), Cradle to cradle: criar e reciclar ilimitadamente [translatedtoPortugueseby Frederico Bonaldo].São Paulo: Edtora G. Gili, 2013 – 8
Merli, R., Preziosi, M., & Acampora, A. (2018). How do scholars approach the circular economy? A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 178, 703-722.
Minunno, R., O'Grady, T., Morrison, G. M., & Gruner, R. L. (2020). Exploring environmental benefits of reuse and recycle practices: A circular economy case study of a modular building. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 160, 104855.
Mishra, S., Jain, S., & Malhotra, G. (2021). The anatomy of circular economy transition in the fashion industry. Social Responsibility Journal, 17(4), 524-542.
Nayak, R., Jajpura, L., & Khandual, A. (2023). Traditional fibres for fashion and textiles: Associated problems and future sustainable fibres. In Sustainable Fibres for Fashion and Textile Manufacturing (pp. 3-25). Woodhead Publishing.
Niinimäki, K. (2017). Fashion in a circular economy. In Sustainability in Fashion (pp. 151-169). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Orange fiber (2020), http://orangefiber.it/
Papagiannis, F., Gazzola, P., Burak, O., & Pokutsa, I. (2018). Overhauls in water supply systems in Ukraine: A hydro-economic model of socially responsible planning and cost management, in Journal of cleaner production, 183, 358-369.
Papagiannis, F., Gazzola, P., Burak, O., & Pokutsa, I. (2021). A European household waste management approach: Intelligently clean Ukraine. Journal of environmental management, 294, 113015.
Papamichael, I., Chatziparaskeva, G., Voukkali, I., Navarro Pedreno, J., Jeguirim, M., & Zorpas, A. A. (2023). The perception of circular economy in the framework of fashion industry. Waste Management & Research, 41(2), 251-263.
Pavione, E., & Pezzetti, R. (2015). Responsible and Sustainable Luxury in the Global Market: New Emerging Strategies in the Luxury Sector. In Strategica. International Academic Conference: Local Versus Global (pp. 73-80).
Pedersen, E. R. G., Earley, R., & Andersen, K. R. (2019). From singular to plural: Exploring organisational complexities and circular business model design, in Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 23(3), 308-326.
Peleg Mizrachi, M., & Tal, A. (2022). Regulation for promoting sustainable, fair and circular fashion. Sustainability, 14(1), 502.
Pessôa, C., Araújo, K., & Arruda, A. (2015). Discussing Consumption and Sustainability in Clothing Production: a case study of a company in Recife/BR. Procedia Manufacturing, 3, 6175-6182.
Pollifroni, M. (2012). Environmental sustainability and social responsibility: a theoretical proposal for an accounting evaluation. Economia Aziendale Online, 2(4), 345-354.
Prieto-Sandoval, V., Jaca, C., & Ormazabal, M. (2018). Towards a consensus on the circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 179, 605-615.
Rapanui (2020), https://rapanuiclothing.com/
Rifò (2020), https://www.rifo-lab.com/
Sala, S., & Castellani, V. (2019). The consumer footprint: Monitoring sustainable development goal 12 with process-based life cycle assessment. Journal of Cleaner Production, 240, 118050.
Schroeder, P., Anggraeni, K., & Weber, U. (2019). The relevance of circular economy practices to the sustainable development goals. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 23(1), 77-95.
Sehnem, S., Troiani, L., Lara, A. C., Guerreiro Crizel, M., Carvalho, L., & Rodrigues, V. P. (2024). Sustainable fashion: challenges and barriers for advancing the circular economy. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26(2), 4097-4118.
Shou, M., & Domenech, T. (2022). Integrating LCA and blockchain technology to promote circular fashion–A case study of leather handbags. Journal of Cleaner Production, 373, 133557.
Symbola Foundation (2021). L’Economia circolare in Italia per il Next Generation EU. https://symbola.net/ricerca/leconomia-circolare-in-italia-per-il-next-generation-eu/
Thakker, A. M., & Sun, D. (2023). Sustainable development goals for textiles and fashion. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(46), 101989-102009.
Todeschini, B. V., Cortimiglia, M. N., Callegaro-de-Menezes, D., & Ghezzi, A. (2017). Innovative and sustainable business models in the fashion industry: Entrepreneurial drivers, opportunities, and challenges. Business Horizons, 60(6), 759-770.
Tortello L. (2012), E dai copertoni distrutti nascono le cinture Torino bike, 3rdJuly 2012, Eco dalle Città
Vătămănescu, E. M., Dabija, D. C., Gazzola, P., Cegarro-Navarro, J. G., & Buzzi, T. (2021). Before and after the outbreak of covid-19: Linking fashion companies' corporate social responsibility approach to consumers' demand for sustainable products. Journal of Cleaner Production, 321, 128945.
Velozo Valenga, A. C., Roberto Stefani, S., Cagica Carvalho, L. M., & Luiz Chiusoli, C. (2023). The influence of green fashion products on the achievement of the 12 Sustainable Development Goals for masters and doctoral students. Brazilian Journal of Management/Revista de Administração da UFSM, 16(1).
Vestialanatura.com (2021), https://www.vestilanatura.com/top-10-Italian-sustainable-fashion-brands/
Zbuchea, A., Petropoulos, S., & Partyka, B. (2018). Nonprofit organizations and the sharing economy: an exploratory study of the umbrella organizations. In Knowledge Management in the Sharing Economy (pp. 95-114). Springer, Cham.
EJSICE has been approved for inclusion in DOAJ. The DOAJ listing of the journal is available at 
EJSICE is a member of 
EJSICE is indexed by 
EJSICE is listed in the ANVUR (Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes) as a scientific journal in both AREA 13 - Economic and statistical sciences and AREA 14 - Political and social sciences. 
