**4. Textile wastes and recycling**

Consumption of textile products has two main aspects that trigger environmental change: the pollution and waste brought about, and the natural resources expended. Pollution is generated not only during the production phase but also during the consumption of the products. The Earth has a natural system that can naturalize pollutants and stabilize a natural equilibrium to a certain extent, but the rate and degree of the release of man-made pollutants into nature challenge this natural equilibrium of the planet [45, 46].

The second factor is the depletion of limited natural resources of the planet through the consumption of goods. Conventional modes of production and consumption dictate utilizing both renewable and nonrenewable resources. Manufacturing processes required during production need natural resources such as fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) to generate energy and raw materials for the actual products (as in the example of plastic, which generally is produced from petrochemicals). Furthermore, in most cases, more natural resources are used up to consume the products themselves. Unfortunately, the utilization of both nonrenewable and renewable resources has a major impact on both localized and global environmental change. As a result of the depletion of resources and generation of pollution, both producing and consuming goods by humans are important sources of environmental change [45, 46].

A significant amount of research has been conducted and published on the environmental impacts of the production and consumption of textiles. The research has helped to inform policy-makers and the public on reducing toxicity of chemicals in production stages, creating industry standards for production and promoting more sustainable ways of cleaning textiles. However, sustainability of the disposal of textiles was not paid much attention until recently.

Textile production is a burden for the environment. Textiles cost significant amounts of natural resources, and the use of toxic chemicals and generation of large quantities of carbon dioxide further augment the problem. However, despite this huge cost, millions of tons of textile products are disposed of every year. In Europe and America, 10 million tons of disposed textile products are predicted to be disposed of, while the estimation for China is double this amount. This textile waste pollutes our environment and clogs landfills around the world on top of all the natural resources used for their production.

Western lifestyle, with its dependence on the culture of consumption, amplifies landfill waste. Not only is the consumption at a high level, but also products are generally overpackaged in the West, which translates into more waste—and to the consumption of natural resources required for packaging. Landfill capacity is not growing at the pace of the increase of the generation of waste, which inevitably means that the cost of waste disposal rises further. This is a major concern for businesses as they need to reduce the overhead costs [38].

The disposal of textile wastes is crucial for the textile industry globally. Tons of textile products get discarded by the consumers and end up in landfills all over the world. Estimates suggest that a vast majority, as high as 95 percent, of the discarded product could in fact be used again—re-worn, reused or recycled, depending on their condition. Indeed, the conditions are pushing the trend, because, as natural resources are limited and cost of waste disposal is increasing, more waste is getting recycled or reused [47].

Textile wastes account for almost 5% of all landfill spaces, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA); however, the recycled postconsumer textile wastes are barely 15% annually, and thus, a huge 85% of the waste ends up in landfills. Certain organizations, including the Council for Textile Recycling (CTR), are endeavoring to raise consciousness about keeping the postconsumer textile wastes out of the solid waste streams, with the aim of reaching the level of zero textile waste going to landfills by 2037 [44].

**47**

**Figure 1.**

*Textile waste treatment strategies 3R concept.*

*Textile Wastes: Status and Perspectives*

sumer waste [48, 51].

lower-value materials [50].

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92234*

Textile waste is produced through a number of streams including the fiber, textile and clothing manufacturing industry, consumers and the commercial and service industries. CTR categorizes textile recycling material as pre- or postcon-

Preconsumer textile waste, according to CTR, is the waste generated during production—by processing fibers, and the production of finished yarns and textiles, technical textiles, nonwoven, garments and footwear, including offcuts, selvages, shearings, rejected materials and/or B-grade garments. Preconsumer textile waste is usually what is considered as "clean waste." Preconsumer textile wastes are produced by the original manufacturers and never make it to consumers [44, 48].

Postconsumer textile waste refers to textile products that the consumer disposes for any reason—they might be run-down or not liked by the consumer anymore. Generally, postconsumer textile wastes tend to be of good quality, which can be recovered or reused as second-hand clothing, and are generally sold to poorer regions of the world. Even the textile products that will most likely not be used by the consumers can potentially be shredded into fiber to be reused for manufacturing [48]. The fast fashion era has skyrocketed the rate at which textile products are discarded, as "going-out-of-fashion" has become one of the main reasons for "not liking the product anymore." The implementation of a convenient recycling regime can turn these wastes into raw materials to be used in producing future, valueadded products. This is the current aim for the ongoing development of textile waste management systems, which seek to produce value-added products through recycling [44]. Textile waste treatment strategies include reducing, reusing and recycling, as shown in **Figure 1**. The first and most preferred approach, reducing, is aimed at, if possible, avoiding any waste entirely. The second approach, reusing, aims literally for the item to be reused by a consumer after it has been discarded by another. The third and last approach is recycling: the materials of discarded items are transformed into new products [49]. Wastes can be recycled to products for the same purpose with their first use, or they can be upcycled or downcycled. In upcycling, wastes are converted into high-value products with different purposes than the original use, while in downcycling, valuable products are converted into

### *Textile Wastes: Status and Perspectives DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92234*

*Waste in Textile and Leather Sectors*

natural equilibrium of the planet [45, 46].

of environmental change [45, 46].

of textiles was not paid much attention until recently.

the natural resources used for their production.

nesses as they need to reduce the overhead costs [38].

textile waste going to landfills by 2037 [44].

expended. Pollution is generated not only during the production phase but also during the consumption of the products. The Earth has a natural system that can naturalize pollutants and stabilize a natural equilibrium to a certain extent, but the rate and degree of the release of man-made pollutants into nature challenge this

The second factor is the depletion of limited natural resources of the planet through the consumption of goods. Conventional modes of production and consumption dictate utilizing both renewable and nonrenewable resources. Manufacturing processes required during production need natural resources such as fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) to generate energy and raw materials for the actual products (as in the example of plastic, which generally is produced from petrochemicals). Furthermore, in most cases, more natural resources are used up to consume the products themselves. Unfortunately, the utilization of both nonrenewable and renewable resources has a major impact on both localized and global environmental change. As a result of the depletion of resources and generation of pollution, both producing and consuming goods by humans are important sources

A significant amount of research has been conducted and published on the environmental impacts of the production and consumption of textiles. The research has helped to inform policy-makers and the public on reducing toxicity of chemicals in production stages, creating industry standards for production and promoting more sustainable ways of cleaning textiles. However, sustainability of the disposal

Textile production is a burden for the environment. Textiles cost significant amounts of natural resources, and the use of toxic chemicals and generation of large quantities of carbon dioxide further augment the problem. However, despite this huge cost, millions of tons of textile products are disposed of every year. In Europe and America, 10 million tons of disposed textile products are predicted to be disposed of, while the estimation for China is double this amount. This textile waste pollutes our environment and clogs landfills around the world on top of all

Western lifestyle, with its dependence on the culture of consumption, amplifies landfill waste. Not only is the consumption at a high level, but also products are generally overpackaged in the West, which translates into more waste—and to the consumption of natural resources required for packaging. Landfill capacity is not growing at the pace of the increase of the generation of waste, which inevitably means that the cost of waste disposal rises further. This is a major concern for busi-

The disposal of textile wastes is crucial for the textile industry globally. Tons of textile products get discarded by the consumers and end up in landfills all over the world. Estimates suggest that a vast majority, as high as 95 percent, of the discarded product could in fact be used again—re-worn, reused or recycled, depending on their condition. Indeed, the conditions are pushing the trend, because, as natural resources are limited and cost of waste disposal is increasing, more waste is getting

Textile wastes account for almost 5% of all landfill spaces, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA); however, the recycled postconsumer textile wastes are barely 15% annually, and thus, a huge 85% of the waste ends up in landfills. Certain organizations, including the Council for Textile Recycling (CTR), are endeavoring to raise consciousness about keeping the postconsumer textile wastes out of the solid waste streams, with the aim of reaching the level of zero

**46**

recycled or reused [47].

Textile waste is produced through a number of streams including the fiber, textile and clothing manufacturing industry, consumers and the commercial and service industries. CTR categorizes textile recycling material as pre- or postconsumer waste [48, 51].

Preconsumer textile waste, according to CTR, is the waste generated during production—by processing fibers, and the production of finished yarns and textiles, technical textiles, nonwoven, garments and footwear, including offcuts, selvages, shearings, rejected materials and/or B-grade garments. Preconsumer textile waste is usually what is considered as "clean waste." Preconsumer textile wastes are produced by the original manufacturers and never make it to consumers [44, 48].

Postconsumer textile waste refers to textile products that the consumer disposes for any reason—they might be run-down or not liked by the consumer anymore. Generally, postconsumer textile wastes tend to be of good quality, which can be recovered or reused as second-hand clothing, and are generally sold to poorer regions of the world. Even the textile products that will most likely not be used by the consumers can potentially be shredded into fiber to be reused for manufacturing [48].

The fast fashion era has skyrocketed the rate at which textile products are discarded, as "going-out-of-fashion" has become one of the main reasons for "not liking the product anymore." The implementation of a convenient recycling regime can turn these wastes into raw materials to be used in producing future, valueadded products. This is the current aim for the ongoing development of textile waste management systems, which seek to produce value-added products through recycling [44]. Textile waste treatment strategies include reducing, reusing and recycling, as shown in **Figure 1**. The first and most preferred approach, reducing, is aimed at, if possible, avoiding any waste entirely. The second approach, reusing, aims literally for the item to be reused by a consumer after it has been discarded by another. The third and last approach is recycling: the materials of discarded items are transformed into new products [49]. Wastes can be recycled to products for the same purpose with their first use, or they can be upcycled or downcycled. In upcycling, wastes are converted into high-value products with different purposes than the original use, while in downcycling, valuable products are converted into lower-value materials [50].

**Figure 1.** *Textile waste treatment strategies 3R concept.*

#### *Waste in Textile and Leather Sectors*

Sustainability aspires to derive maximum benefit from products by extending their life. Studies conducted by economists and environmentalists on technical and economic requirements for sustainability reveal that it is imperative to reduce waste generation and increase recycling. Below are a few reasons why recycling is important [51, 52]:


Recycling and recovery of textile products are not as common as the material groups such as glass, metal, plastic and paper and product groups such as electronic, packaging and automotive. Recycling activities related to the textile sector are mainly focused on the treatment of chemical wastes and polluted water—problems that arise during production processes. The number of scientific or practical studies on the recycling of solid wastes is extremely limited [53].

Even though the textile and apparel sector is one of the most intense consumption sectors, implementation of recycling throughout the sector is not satisfying. However, parallel to the increasing global awareness of environmental problems, the awareness of consumers about sustainability has also started to increase. Consumers are now demanding recycled textile products and manufacturers are seeking ways to meet this demand [53, 54].

The waste generated by the textile sector contributes to land, water and air pollution. Decomposing textiles generate greenhouse gases and thus air pollution. The vast amount of chemicals used for producing textile goods unavoidably pollutes the rivers. And discarded textile products fill up landfills, which are already scarce. All these wastes are resources that could have been used to create value-added products. Not only this potential is lost, but also more raw materials are required to be used, which in turn results in more energy to be consumed [55].

Wasted materials can be recovered through reusing a product as is and converting the waste into a product. A material should get to be reused as much as possible and the consumer finally decides to discard it, and then recycling would be a good alternative to reduce the carbon footprint [56].

Recycling technologies tend to be divided into primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary approaches, and all these four methods are applicable to recycle fibers. Primary approaches refer to the process of recycling a material to what it was originally. Secondary recycling means melt processing a plastic product into a lower-quality but nevertheless a new one. Tertiary recycling refers to processes that convert the plastic wastes into basic chemicals or fuel, such as pyrolysis and hydrolysis. Quaternary recycling involves burning the fibrous solid waste and converting it into a source of energy exploiting the heat generated through burning [38, 57].

**49**

*Textile Wastes: Status and Perspectives*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92234*

recover more value from used products [56, 58, 59].

into the recycling stream through downcycling or upcycling [44].

synthetic fibers remain to be popular options [10, 38, 56].

nomically and technically feasible [47].

lists the following as challenges:

certain amount of energy.

Obviously, the most fruitful method of recycling is the primary approach. This approach, also called closed-loop recycling, is only applicable to man-made fibers such as PET or PA. This primary approach includes collecting textile waste discarded by the user and using this in new clothing as material for the production of yarn. The most common method of recycling actually is what is called open-loop recycling. In this method, the output material does not have a high-enough level of quality to produce new clothes; thus, it gets downgraded. The study on cotton fibers by Ütebay et al. demonstrates the deterioration in fiber quality. Downgraded material can be used as mattress upholstery or isolation material in cars. Through open-loop recycling, some value is recuperated from the textile waste, which would otherwise have been incinerated. However, this does not help to reduce the necessity of raw materials to produce clothing. Therefore, closed-loop recycling remains to be an attractive alternative. A closed-loop supply chain provides the advantage to

The most recycled textile waste is thermoplastic polymer-based fibers because they are easy to process and can be given different forms and shapes afterwards. Nevertheless, natural fibers such as cotton, wool and silk are also finding their ways

Recycling of textiles today is not a wide industry. The number of companies that offer services of recycling of textile fibers is limited because it is economically not beneficial and technologically not advanced. The lack of technological innovation and the continuing supply of cheap fabrics into the markets hinder the motivation for research, development and application of recycling techniques; however, it does not totally block the development of new technologies for recycling textile waste. Soon, certain obstacles will need to be faced and resolved to further increase textile waste recycling [10, 60]. In terms of technology, the fundamental question is the fiber composition of textile materials. The current garments in today's markets vary more in terms of design and fiber content than in the past. The other compounded factors are issues/ difficulties in separating the blended components, efficiency of separation, quality of separated material and hence the recycled material's quality and so on. As recycled fibers and fabrics still provide a low level of quality, virgin natural and

There are some recycling technologies available on the market today. Others are on the way, albeit few. Other changes need to accompany these research and trial endeavors—in terms of economy, processing costs should be reduced; in terms of policy, relevant standards should be implemented; and in terms of governance, textile waste should be recollected much more efficiently. Apart from increasing the efficiency of recycling methods and processes, the market for recycled products should grow. In short, recycling needs more encouragement, wherever it is eco-

There are important benefits of recycling textiles, both environmental and economical. It reduces the need for landfill space, consumption of already scarce virgin resources, pollution as well as water and energy consumption and the demand for dyes and fixing agents [61]. However, even though recycling offers ways to reduce environmental negative impacts, it is not exempt from certain problems. Wang [38]

• The mechanical, chemical or biological processes to recycle waste still require a

• The recycling processes continue to require new raw material input.

• The recycling processes still generate emissions into air, water and land.

### *Textile Wastes: Status and Perspectives DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92234*

*Waste in Textile and Leather Sectors*

recyclable products.

tunities for small businesses.

the destruction of natural habitats.

seeking ways to meet this demand [53, 54].

alternative to reduce the carbon footprint [56].

on the recycling of solid wastes is extremely limited [53].

tant [51, 52]:

Sustainability aspires to derive maximum benefit from products by extending their life. Studies conducted by economists and environmentalists on technical and economic requirements for sustainability reveal that it is imperative to reduce waste generation and increase recycling. Below are a few reasons why recycling is impor-

• Economical reasons: recycling programs cost less than waste disposal pro-

• Social reasons: recycling creates jobs. Recycling centers create four jobs for every one job in the waste disposal industry. The method can also create oppor-

• Environmental reasons: recycling conserves natural resources such as water, oil and natural gas; saves energy as it requires less energy compared with manufacturing brand new products; produces less greenhouse gases; and prevents

Recycling and recovery of textile products are not as common as the material groups such as glass, metal, plastic and paper and product groups such as electronic, packaging and automotive. Recycling activities related to the textile sector are mainly focused on the treatment of chemical wastes and polluted water—problems that arise during production processes. The number of scientific or practical studies

Even though the textile and apparel sector is one of the most intense consumption sectors, implementation of recycling throughout the sector is not satisfying. However, parallel to the increasing global awareness of environmental problems, the awareness of consumers about sustainability has also started to increase. Consumers are now demanding recycled textile products and manufacturers are

The waste generated by the textile sector contributes to land, water and air pollution. Decomposing textiles generate greenhouse gases and thus air pollution. The vast amount of chemicals used for producing textile goods unavoidably pollutes the rivers. And discarded textile products fill up landfills, which are already scarce. All these wastes are resources that could have been used to create value-added products. Not only this potential is lost, but also more raw materials are required to

Wasted materials can be recovered through reusing a product as is and converting the waste into a product. A material should get to be reused as much as possible and the consumer finally decides to discard it, and then recycling would be a good

Recycling technologies tend to be divided into primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary approaches, and all these four methods are applicable to recycle fibers. Primary approaches refer to the process of recycling a material to what it was originally. Secondary recycling means melt processing a plastic product into a lower-quality but nevertheless a new one. Tertiary recycling refers to processes that convert the plastic wastes into basic chemicals or fuel, such as pyrolysis and hydrolysis. Quaternary recycling involves burning the fibrous solid waste and converting it into a source of energy exploiting the heat generated through

be used, which in turn results in more energy to be consumed [55].

grams. The high water, energy and manufacturing consumption makes it much cheaper to recycle than to produce some new textile products. Recycling can be made financially rewarding, as people can receive money for turning in certain

**48**

burning [38, 57].

Obviously, the most fruitful method of recycling is the primary approach. This approach, also called closed-loop recycling, is only applicable to man-made fibers such as PET or PA. This primary approach includes collecting textile waste discarded by the user and using this in new clothing as material for the production of yarn. The most common method of recycling actually is what is called open-loop recycling. In this method, the output material does not have a high-enough level of quality to produce new clothes; thus, it gets downgraded. The study on cotton fibers by Ütebay et al. demonstrates the deterioration in fiber quality. Downgraded material can be used as mattress upholstery or isolation material in cars. Through open-loop recycling, some value is recuperated from the textile waste, which would otherwise have been incinerated. However, this does not help to reduce the necessity of raw materials to produce clothing. Therefore, closed-loop recycling remains to be an attractive alternative. A closed-loop supply chain provides the advantage to recover more value from used products [56, 58, 59].

The most recycled textile waste is thermoplastic polymer-based fibers because they are easy to process and can be given different forms and shapes afterwards. Nevertheless, natural fibers such as cotton, wool and silk are also finding their ways into the recycling stream through downcycling or upcycling [44].

Recycling of textiles today is not a wide industry. The number of companies that offer services of recycling of textile fibers is limited because it is economically not beneficial and technologically not advanced. The lack of technological innovation and the continuing supply of cheap fabrics into the markets hinder the motivation for research, development and application of recycling techniques; however, it does not totally block the development of new technologies for recycling textile waste. Soon, certain obstacles will need to be faced and resolved to further increase textile waste recycling [10, 60].

In terms of technology, the fundamental question is the fiber composition of textile materials. The current garments in today's markets vary more in terms of design and fiber content than in the past. The other compounded factors are issues/ difficulties in separating the blended components, efficiency of separation, quality of separated material and hence the recycled material's quality and so on. As recycled fibers and fabrics still provide a low level of quality, virgin natural and synthetic fibers remain to be popular options [10, 38, 56].

There are some recycling technologies available on the market today. Others are on the way, albeit few. Other changes need to accompany these research and trial endeavors—in terms of economy, processing costs should be reduced; in terms of policy, relevant standards should be implemented; and in terms of governance, textile waste should be recollected much more efficiently. Apart from increasing the efficiency of recycling methods and processes, the market for recycled products should grow. In short, recycling needs more encouragement, wherever it is economically and technically feasible [47].

There are important benefits of recycling textiles, both environmental and economical. It reduces the need for landfill space, consumption of already scarce virgin resources, pollution as well as water and energy consumption and the demand for dyes and fixing agents [61]. However, even though recycling offers ways to reduce environmental negative impacts, it is not exempt from certain problems. Wang [38] lists the following as challenges:


Evidently, recycling is not always the preferred approach, when not only the environmental context but also the competitiveness of the final product in the market is taken into account. The existing recycling technologies need to get better, cleaner, more energy efficient and less costly [38].

Textile recycling, a key concept for sustainability, currently faces hurdles related to cost, time and technology. But as sustainability becomes more and more important, more initiatives are getting incentivized and sponsored by both manufacturers and other organizations in the textile sector to help advance the results of textile recycling. This tendency can be seen through the fact that certain textile recycling companies have shown promising growth. Different strategies and policies were coined in different regions to promote an efficient way of recycling for conserving the environment more and increasing the economic efficiency [38].

Many voluntary and nonprofit organizations run campaigns to conserve natural resources by creating awareness of both downcycling and upcycling recycling

**51**

damage in the future.

*Textile Wastes: Status and Perspectives*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92234*

help solve global environmental problems."

recycling of textile industry waste is very important.

**5. Conclusion**

concepts. The campaigns aim to convince the consumers that using recycled products is an esteemed way of adding value to oneself, the product and the world. Examples of commercially available labels for recycled products are given in **Figure 2** [62–68]. All these initiatives are expected to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management systems [44]. In addition to these certifications, some standards such as Social Responsibility

An unsustainable consumption of textile goods ensures the deterioration of the environmental degradation. To achieve environmental integrity and sustainability, incentivizing the textile companies to produce more environment-friendly products is not enough—the behavior of consumers also needs to change, creating more awareness toward the conservation of the environment [45]. In this context, Connolly and Prothero [73] write: "Rather than focus on the issue of whether green consumption can work as a strategy, we should perhaps try to gain a greater understanding of the process that has led people to believe that they, as individuals, can

The fibers obtained by recycling are generally evaluated in the production of lower-value products (downcycling) compared to the original product. However, nowadays, recycling fibers have started to increase their evaluation in high valueadded products (downcycling). On the other hand, the perspective that focuses only on the cost aspect of the production of recycled garments is not correct. Considering water consumption as well as pesticides and artificial fertilizers used, the textile industry is known to be one of the most polluting and waste-generating sectors. From this point of view, recycling of textiles and garments is of great importance in terms of reducing the use of natural resources (e.g., water used to grow seeds or oil used in the production of synthetic fibers) and CO2 emissions. Recycling will also save energy and chemicals to produce new textiles, as well as prevent pollution from the production process. In this context, it is important for the future of our world to review all production and consumption processes and supply chains in the focus of circular economy and sustainability. Therefore, the

The future of textile recycling mostly depends on its implementation in the industry and gaining more experience and grounds for more innovative methods. Clothing retailers are key actors on this front, as they are uniquely positioned to be able to influence and improve consumers' approach in favor of sustainability. Not only do clothing retailers have the potential to influence consumer decisions, but also they are in a position to alter consumption patterns. People can learn the importance of recycling as well as reuse and resales by the help of companies, and this is not limited to developing countries. Through such actions, consumer awareness about sustainable consumption would increase, leading to less environmental

Standard (ISO 26000), Environmental Management System (ISO 14001), Occupational Health and Safety Management System (ISO 45001) and Energy Management System (ISO 50001) also support sustainability and social responsibil-

ity practices and contribute to their dissemination [69–72].

**Figure 2.** *Labels for recycled products.*

#### *Textile Wastes: Status and Perspectives DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92234*

*Waste in Textile and Leather Sectors*

cleaner, more energy efficient and less costly [38].

the environment more and increasing the economic efficiency [38].

Evidently, recycling is not always the preferred approach, when not only the environmental context but also the competitiveness of the final product in the market is taken into account. The existing recycling technologies need to get better,

Textile recycling, a key concept for sustainability, currently faces hurdles related to cost, time and technology. But as sustainability becomes more and more important, more initiatives are getting incentivized and sponsored by both manufacturers and other organizations in the textile sector to help advance the results of textile recycling. This tendency can be seen through the fact that certain textile recycling companies have shown promising growth. Different strategies and policies were coined in different regions to promote an efficient way of recycling for conserving

Many voluntary and nonprofit organizations run campaigns to conserve natural

resources by creating awareness of both downcycling and upcycling recycling

**50**

**Figure 2.**

*Labels for recycled products.*

concepts. The campaigns aim to convince the consumers that using recycled products is an esteemed way of adding value to oneself, the product and the world.

Examples of commercially available labels for recycled products are given in **Figure 2** [62–68]. All these initiatives are expected to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management systems [44].

In addition to these certifications, some standards such as Social Responsibility Standard (ISO 26000), Environmental Management System (ISO 14001), Occupational Health and Safety Management System (ISO 45001) and Energy Management System (ISO 50001) also support sustainability and social responsibility practices and contribute to their dissemination [69–72].

An unsustainable consumption of textile goods ensures the deterioration of the environmental degradation. To achieve environmental integrity and sustainability, incentivizing the textile companies to produce more environment-friendly products is not enough—the behavior of consumers also needs to change, creating more awareness toward the conservation of the environment [45]. In this context, Connolly and Prothero [73] write: "Rather than focus on the issue of whether green consumption can work as a strategy, we should perhaps try to gain a greater understanding of the process that has led people to believe that they, as individuals, can help solve global environmental problems."
