Bridging Human Behaviour and Circularity: The Social Impact of IoT-Based Energy Monitoring in the Textile Industry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13135/2704-9906/12602Keywords:
Internet of Things, Sustainable Manufacturing, Textile Industry, energy efficiency, social impact, Circular economyAbstract
The textile industry faces dual pressures to enhance operational efficiency while meeting global circular economy targets. While the Internet of Things (IoT) presents a solution, quantitative impact analyses often lack rigor in data normalisation and fail to account for the human element. This study quantitatively analyses the impact of a real-time IoT energy monitoring system (SEMWOSH) on energy efficiency and estimated carbon footprint, while explicitly investigating the human-centric behavioural mechanisms driving these changes. A 12-month pre-post intervention design was employed in a vocational textile workshop. Energy data were normalized using a Production Factor (PF) index to control for workload. Semi-structured interviews with operators and managers were conducted to explain quantitative trends. Normalized analysis revealed a significant operational efficiency improvement of 1.85% in the post-implementation period. Qualitative findings indicate this improvement was driven by the "Observer Effect," where data transparency triggered self-regulation among operators and proactive decision-making by managers. This study confirms that human-centric IoT systems effectively bridge digitalization with circularity. The novelty of this research lies in isolating the behavioural component of energy efficiency, demonstrating that data visibility alone—without mechanical upgrades—can serve as a catalyst for sustainable manufacturing.
References
Casado-Mansilla, D., Irizar-Arrieta, A., Solabarrieta-Roman, M., Manterola-Lasa, A., Kamara-Esteban, O., Tsolakis, A. C., Krinidis, S., Tzovaras, D., Borges, C. E., & Lopez-de-Ipina, D. (2020). Lasting and Spillover Effects of Ambient Eco-Feedback in the Office-based Workplace. 2020 5th International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Technologies (SpliTech), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.23919/SpliTech49282.2020.9243717
Das, M. C. (2023). Characterization of pineapple leaf fiber, areca fiber and egg shell powder reinforced phenolic resin composites and finding optimal parameters for sustainable machining. Materials Today: Proceedings, (Query date: 2025-02-24 12:28:54). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2023.04.023
Dubal, S., Gupta, U., Jha, S., Musale, P., & Sajwan, P. (2025). Human-Centric Design in IIoT Solutions. In B. K. Mishra, G. Dhiman, H. Kasturiwale, S. Alegavi, & K. Yadav, Industrial Internet of Things for Responsible Technology (1st ed., pp. 77–100). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003587903-7
Garg, S., & Pancholi, N. (2023). IoT-Driven Sustainable Development and Future Trends in Industries: In S. Lamba Sahdev, C. Krishnan, & A. Hassan (Eds.), Advances in Environmental Engineering and Green Technologies (pp. 1–11). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-9979-5.ch001
Ghoreishi, M., & Happonen, A. (2022). The Case of Fabric and Textile Industry: The Emerging Role of Digitalization, Internet-of-Things and Industry 4.0 for Circularity. In X.-S. Yang, S. Sherratt, N. Dey, & A. Joshi (Eds.), Proceedings of Sixth International Congress on Information and Communication Technology (Vol. 216, pp. 189–200). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1781-2_18
Hassan, R., Acerbi, F., Rosa, P., & Terzi, S. (2025). The role of digital technologies in the circular transition of the textile sector. The Journal of The Textile Institute, 116(12), 2860–2873. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2024.2414162
Introna, V., Santolamazza, A., & Cesarotti, V. (2024). Integrating Industry 4.0 and 5.0 Innovations for Enhanced Energy Management Systems. Energies, 17(5), 1222. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17051222
Leal Filho, W., Dinis, M. A. P., Liakh, O., Paço, A., Dennis, K., Shollo, F., & Sidsaph, H. (2024). Reducing the carbon footprint of the textile sector: An overview of impacts and solutions. Textile Research Journal, 94(15–16), 1798–1814. https://doi.org/10.1177/00405175241236971
Mahmud, Md. Z. A., Rabbi, S. M. F., Islam, Md. D., & Hossain, N. (2025). Synthesis and applications of natural fiber‐reinforced epoxy composites: A comprehensive review. SPE Polymers, 6(1), e10161. https://doi.org/10.1002/pls2.10161
Nabeel, M., Ali, B., & Hamdan, A. (2019). REAL-TIME FEEDBACK ON CONSUMER’S BEHAVIOR: LITERATURE REVIEW. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 9(5), 489–493. https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.8353
Nalini, M., Varadharajan, D., Natarajan, N., & Umasankar, Y. (2024). IOT‐Based Advanced Energy Management in Smart Factories. In S. Sagar, T. Poongodi, R. K. Dhanaraj, & S. Padmanaban (Eds.), Cyber Physical Energy Systems (1st ed., pp. 183–216). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394173006.ch6
Petrillo, A., Rehman, M., & Baffo, I. (2024). Digital and Sustainable Transition in Textile Industry through Internet of Things Technologies: A Pakistani Case Study. Applied Sciences, 14(13), 5380. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135380
Sehrawat, M., Nandwani, A., Rohila, M., & Jain, A. (2025). Redefining Consumer Behaviour in a Circular Economy: Strategies for Sustainable Living. In M. Mokdad (Ed.), Social System Reforms to Achieve Global Sustainability (pp. 391–420). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-1280-4.ch013
Sentoso, T., Kusrini, K., & Hanafi, H. (2023). The effectiveness of using RFID and IoT in digital transformation processes in garment companies using the UTAUT model2. Gema Wiralodra, 14(2), 697–709. https://doi.org/10.31943/gw.v14i2.511
Sharanya, C., Radhakrishnan, P., Nirmalsingh, N., Ashwin Kumar, D. R., Cloudin, S., & Robinson Joel, M. (2024). IoT-Driven Innovations for Sustainable Resource Use and Waste Reduction: In E. Ozen, A. Singh, S. Taneja, R. Rajaram, & J. P. Davim (Eds.), Advances in E-Business Research (pp. 307–328). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-9699-5.ch013
Skėrė, S., Bastida-Molina, P., Skėrys, P., & Molina-Palomares, P. (2025). Empowering Industry 5.0: A Multicriteria Framework for Energy Sustainability in Industrial Companies. Applied Sciences, 15(16), 9170. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15169170
Swami, S., Suthar, S., Srinivasan, S. M., Joshi, A., Pandey, N., & Yamsani, N. (2024). Integrating Circular Economy and IoT For Sustainable Resource Management. 2023 International Conference on Smart Devices (ICSD), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSD60021.2024.10751410
Tadja, D. D., Lehyani, F., Zouari, A., Bassetto, S.-J., Tollenaere, M., & Wong, T. (2025). Leveraging Internet of Things to Enhance Skill Acquisition in Lean Manufacturing Practices: An Experimental Study. In Review. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7322105/v1
Turskis, Z., & Šniokienė, V. (2024). IoT-Driven Transformation of Circular Economy Efficiency: An Overview. Mathematical and Computational Applications, 29(4), 49. https://doi.org/10.3390/mca29040049
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 AREA 13 - Economic and Statistical Sciences and AREA 14 - Political and Social Sciences. 
