Advancing Sustainability Through Sustainable Materials in the Textile and Clothing Industry

The textile and clothing industries have significant environmental impacts and are widely recognized as major contributors to global pollution, resource depletion, and climate change. The use of sustainable materials at various stages of product development can help address sustainability challenges in the textile and clothing industry. The aim of this paper was to present two case studies that focused on waste management, material circularity, and cleaner production processes as strategies for addressing sustainability challenges in the textile and clothing industries. The first case study focused on product development by creating diaper core materials from discarded textile waste materials for hygiene applications. The developed products were then compared with commercially available products to evaluate their safety and performance. Textile dyeing and printing are toxic and resource-intensive processes. Therefore, reducing their environmental impact requires addressing the primary source of contamination, which is the dyes themselves. The second case study focused on producing natural dyes from waste orange peel materials, applying them to cotton fabrics using an eco-friendly dyeing process, and evaluating their rubbing and washing fastness properties. The results of the first case study showed that diaper cores made from waste materials were thicker and less breathable than commercial superabsorbent polymer cores. However, they demonstrated high absorbency, particularly those made from waste cotton, and were found to be safe, with no heavy metals detected. This suggests that they can serve as alternative diaper core materials while also supporting waste management and material circularity. From the second case study, the natural dyes showed good resistance to dry rubbing but poor performance under wet conditions and washing, suggesting they are more suitable for applications such as upholstery or winter clothing. The study found that key barriers for the implementation of sustainability initiatives were cost, limited access to materials and technology, and insufficient policy support.