Understanding and Application of Ecodesign Concepts in Technical Subjects with New Materials More Sustainable

The European Council approved the ecodesign regulation on 27 May 2024. This new regulation establishes requirements for product durability, reusability, upgradability, and reparability. It also sets rules regarding the presence of substances that inhibit circularity, along with standards for energy and resource efficiency, recycled content, remanufacturing, and recycling. Additionally, the regulation addresses carbon and environmental footprints and mandates information disclosures, including a digital passport for products. A key aspect of the circular economy strategy focuses on minimizing waste while encouraging the reuse, recovery, and recycling of materials. This strategy sets ambitious goals for the textile sector, aiming for most textile products to be produced with recycled fibers by 2030 and committing to social and environmental responsibilities. It is aligned with the circularity strategy based on the 10Rs framework of the circular economy. The aim of this article is to reflect on the use of more sustainable textile materials and explore how undergraduate fashion design and sustainable technology students understand materials from an ecodesign perspective. In this study, data interpretation and analysis methods were used, based on a questionnaire applied to textile and fashion students. From 145 participants, 105 responses were collected. This approach allowed an analysis of students’ understanding of ecodesign, new materials, and circular economy strategies through the 10Rs framework. The results indicated that students were not sufficiently aware of how to apply ecodesign principles in their projects, especially during the design and prototyping phases. This highlights the need for academia to make greater efforts to promote a deeper understanding and application of ecodesign concepts in technical subjects, especially when working with new materials.