Circular Economy in der Textilindustrie

: Analyse der Reverse Logistics Prozesse bei Scondhand Textilien

Abstract

The textile industry has been a major contributor to global pollution for decades. There is a growing demand to move away from the linear economic model towards a circular economy in order to reduce the negative environmental impact. As a result, the issue is increasingly becoming the focus of legislation. The member states of the European Union are obliged to introduce a system for the separate collection of used textiles by 2025. It is therefore also necessary for organizations and companies to understand the processing of the textile waste stream in more detail. The waste hierarchy is central in this context. It prioritizes reuse in its original form and thus emphasizes the importance of the second-hand textile market. This paper therefore focuses on the reuse of textiles as an important component of the circular economy. By reusing textiles, the need to produce new materials can be reduced. However, the processing of used textiles is often more complex than the processing of new goods. Efficient return logistics, i.e. the collection and return of used textiles for reuse or recycling, is therefore becoming increasingly important. The aim of this study is to analyze the necessary process steps for the reuse of used textiles, focusing on the Austrian market. The introductory first chapter is followed by a comparison of the linear and circular textile industry, based on a literature review and analysis. This is followed in the third chapter by a theoretical elaboration of the re-use market, the necessary process steps for the reprocessing of used textiles and customer needs. In the fifth chapter of the thesis, the empirical part, which is based on expert interviews, an overview of the challenges of the individual process steps is given. Finally, the last chapter answers the research questions. As a result of the work, the areas of collection, sorting, storage and sales (via stationary retail and web stores) were described in terms of processes, and their challenges for commercial and socio-economic companies were identified and compared. The fundamental challenges are fragmented processes and inadequate infrastructure. These circumstances lead to inefficiencies in processing. Automation and better collaboration between organizations and companies could increase efficiency.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Sarah Pfoser (Supervisor)