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A Systematic Literature Review for the Recycling and Reuse of Wasted Clothing

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  • Xiufen Xie

    (College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou 215031, China)

  • Yan Hong

    (College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou 215031, China)

  • Xianyi Zeng

    (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Industries Textiles, 30329 Roubaix, France)

  • Xiaoqun Dai

    (College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou 215031, China)

  • Melissa Wagner

    (Independent Researcher, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK)

Abstract

With the growing frequency and quantity of clothing purchases, the elimination rate of waste clothing is increasing. Many researchers have contributed to the topic of the recycling and reuse of waste clothing, and therefore many related literature reviews are emerging. The current reviews only focus on waste textile recycling and waste-clothing life-cycle evaluation. The topic of waste-clothing recycling itself is ignored. In this article, we propose a systematic review of the recycling and reuse of wasted clothes. Firstly, we summarize the existing methods of waste-clothing collection and recycling and the related recycling technology, and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. The involved literatures are journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers selected from Google Scholar and Web of Science. Citespace software, as a literature visualization tool is used for the analysis. Based on this review, the low efficiency of waste-clothes recycling can be attributed to poor organization from a management aspect. From a consumer perspective, because of the differences in understanding among consumers about waste-clothing recycling, the existing clothing-recycling system cannot be fully utilized. The results of this review provide reference for further research on waste-clothing recycling, and make suggestions for the relevant governmental/industrial development strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiufen Xie & Yan Hong & Xianyi Zeng & Xiaoqun Dai & Melissa Wagner, 2021. "A Systematic Literature Review for the Recycling and Reuse of Wasted Clothing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:24:p:13732-:d:701076
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Duan Wu & Mingyu Zhuang & Xinni Zhang & Yuheng Zhao, 2022. "Towards Circular Fashion: Design for Community-Based Clothing Reuse and Upcycling Services under a Social Innovation Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-24, December.
    2. Giuseppe Bonifazi & Riccardo Gasbarrone & Roberta Palmieri & Silvia Serranti, 2022. "End-of-Life Textile Recognition in a Circular Economy Perspective: A Methodological Approach Based on Near Infrared Spectroscopy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Najla Ibrahim Bin Hamdan, 2023. "A Survey of the Role of Charity Societies in Recycling Clothing Waste and the Extent of Their Societal Impact in Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-17, July.
    4. Hyewon Lee, 2023. "The Dual Strategy for Textile and Fashion Production Using Clothing Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, July.
    5. Valerio Schiaroli & Rosa Maria Dangelico & Luca Fraccascia, 2025. "Mapping sustainable options in the fashion industry: A systematic literature review and a future research agenda," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 431-464, February.
    6. Osmud Rahman & Dingtao Hu & Benjamin C. M. Fung, 2023. "A Systematic Literature Review of Fashion, Sustainability, and Consumption Using a Mixed Methods Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-37, August.
    7. Mustapha Hrouga & Stephnaie Michel, 2023. "Towards a new supply chain manager dashboard under circular economy constraints: A case study on France textile and clothing industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 6074-6093, December.
    8. Bo Wu & Xiufen Xie & Weicheng Ke & Huiying Bao & Zhilan Duan & Zhenyu Jin & Xiaoqun Dai & Yan Hong, 2022. "Merchandising for Sustainable Fashion: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-19, October.
    9. Huantian Cao & Kelly Cobb & Michelle Yatvitskiy & Megan Wolfe & Hongqing Shen, 2022. "Textile and Product Development from End-of-Use Cotton Apparel: A Study to Reclaim Value from Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-20, July.

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