The need to satisfy the increasing global demand for textile and clothing material due to population growth and changes in fashion trends have led to the manufacturing of short life span textiles. Current fabrics such as cotton and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) all have deep environmental impacts. This study examines Polylactic acid (PLA) fabric derived from corn as a contending replacement for cotton and polyethylene terephthalate. The use phase has been identified as the dominant contributor to environmental impacts and consequently this research has focused on how the laundry regime (wash performance) affects the life expectancy and the mechanical properties of PLA, PET and Cotton. This study excludes daily wear, dirt and stains. By testing the constituent fabrics after each laundry regime, the results showed a more significant level of impact on cotton than PLA fabric in different laundry treatments with or without softener. There was no effect on PET. The load-extension behaviour showed that PLA and cotton withstood ten laundry cycles before showing any significant signs of damage; however, PET fabric retained its load-extension behaviour beyond 50 laundry cycles. From a practical standpoint, the result of this study suggests that tumble-drying should be avoided; however, the use of softeners during the laundry and air-drying seems to provide stability for PLA and PET fabrics. The influence on the cotton fabric was more from the drying process than the use or absence of softener, buttressing the fact that tumble-drying should be avoided if possible. The life expectancy of PLA fabric showed a lower lifetime (35 washes/lifecycle) compared to PET and cotton (42 and 43 washes/lifecycle respectively). With these results, a comparative lifecycle assessment was conducted during the life expectancy and after a typical school t-shirt use of 75 laundry regimes, PLA offered environmental benefits compared to PET and Cotton. The result also revealed that the environmental impact of cotton decreased by 2%, PET decreased by about 1.2% while PLA increased by 3% when the laundry lifetime was increased to 75 wash cycles. The results obtained in this study showed that enhancing the fabric to increase its laundry lifetime does not automatically lessen the environmental impacts. Nevertheless, it has proven that even a small rise in the lifetime of PLA fabric can make it comparable and competitive with PET and cotton. In addition, the similarities in properties with PET makes PLA a valuable substitute, with a sustainable low environmental burden. In comparison to cotton (Energy Demand 36.5%, Water Consumption 53%, and Global warming potential Contribution 43%), PLA (Energy Demand 28.5%, Water Consumption 21% and Global warming potential Contribution 22%), demonstrates a better alternative in all aspects and is recommended as a suitable replacement due to its potentially low water and energy use, and CO2 emission.

The fashion industry is faced with a challenge of the world’s population today and it is therefore looking for other alternatives of dressing up the entire population since cotton is at its extinction. This study introduces an African crafted sustainable textile fabric called Bark cloth. The research includes the details of the fabric, the production process and what the fabric can be used for in order to give the reader a deeper understanding of the fabric and why it is interesting to be added on the Swedish market. A qualitative methodology is used and that is to say; interviews have been conducted as well as empirical data review which is used as basis on both primary and secondary data hence this helped in providing valid information for this study. The study findings and results are greatly based on the field study the author made recently in Uganda to broaden this project and the study is also be based on the information was be gathered from the other empirical sources such as interviews and the literature. The study scope outcomes will be applicable to the fashion council that that is seeking help in finding out how cotton can be substituted and it will also be very useful at the Swedish School of Textiles and the Textile museum in Boras.

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the need to better care for the environment, innovative business models are helping to counter the damage of the fast fashion system - a phenomenon in the fashion industry whereby production processes are expedited in order to get new trends to the market as quickly and cheaply as possible. Designing products with a focus on their renewability can shift the product-consumer relationship. The closed loop concept of a “circular economy” is emerging as a viable and promising solution to the current linear business model. This study explores the possibilities of a more mindful approach to systems of production and consumption through material explorations using plastic from water bottles, paper from old newspaper and magazines, and fabric leftovers from pattern making within a circular economy. It considers the generative and renewable approaches in redefining how fashion engages with the components and raw materials of the industry. The research demonstrates a circular approach to the production of hospitality accessories in an effort to develop new intersections between products, materials, and consumers. The accessories are designed using discarded, reformulated denim–an abundant and underutilized byproduct of the fashion industry­–to reduce waste that currently occurs every time hotel chains and airlines produce disposable giveaway products from new materials.

Den linjära Supply Chain modellen och fenomenet ‘Fast Fashion’ som idag karaktäriserar dagens textilmarknad är av ohållbar natur. För att utvärdera hur resurseffektiva de olika verksamheterna i försörjningskedjan är så skapade Carter och Ellram “avfallshierarkin” år 1998. Under 2008 uppdaterade Europaparlamentet och Europeiska Unionens Råd denna modell till det som idag refereras till som “avfallstrappan”. De olika stegen är utformade för att i en önskvärd ordning, minska mängden bortskaffat textilavfall. Ett steg mot en mer hållbar affärsmodell är implementeringen av en grön försörjningskedja (GSCM). De grundläggande förutsättningarna för att kunna använda avfallstrappan är att insamling och sortering av efter-konsument textilavfall (PtCTW) hanteras korrekt och effektivt. ‘ExtendedProducer Responsibility’ (EPR), innebär att företagen har ansvar för hantering av sitt PtCTW, vilket inkluderar insamlings- och sorteringsprocesser. Detta skapar en omvänd försörjningskedja, ‘reverse logistics’. Den omvända kedjan syftar till att skapa ett slutet materialflöde, vilket resulterar i noll avfall. För att kunna göra det måste nya hållbara återanvändnings- och återvinningsmetoder utvecklas. Undersökningen i denna studie syftar till att kartlägga ny teknik inom området för att få reda på huruvida användningen av dessa kan leda till minskad mängd bortskaffad PtCTW. / The linear supply chain model and the phenomena of fast fashion that today characterizes the textile industry is unsustainable. To evaluate how resource-efficient the various activities in the supply chain management are Carter and Ellram created the Waste Hierarchy in 1998. In 2008 the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union updated this model to what is today referred to as the waste-staircase (“avfallstrappan”). The different steps are designed for how to, in a desirable order, reduce the amount of textile waste disposed. A step towards a more sustainable business model is the implementation of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM). The basic prerequisites for using the staircase is that collecting and sorting of post-consumer textile waste (PtCTW) is handled correctly and efficiently. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) entails companies to handle their products post consumer phase, including processes such as collection and sorting. This creates a reverse supply chain, ‘reverse logistics’. This reverse supply chain aims to create a closed material flow, resulting in zero waste. In order to do so, new sustainable reuse- and recycle methods needs to be developed. The survey made in this study aims to map new technologies within the area, in order to find out whether the use of these could result in reduced amount of disposed PtCTW.

Purpose: The purpose of this research paper is to examine the potential of the Swedish textile industry to achieve more sustainability in the home textile segment, through establishing a local value chain for local consumption. The aim is to explore the potential of both the supply and demand side of the local market. For the supply, or the industry perspective, the goal is to show companies the relevant aspects to consider when choosing to establish a local value chain in Sweden, with a focus on the home textile segment. For the demand, or the consumer perspective, the objective is to find out how they perceive locally produced sustainable products and whether there is interest for purchasing such products. Methodology: Existing literature and relevant results from researches have been collected and used as secondary sources, for forming and backing up the industry perspective of the thesis work. Face to face interviews have been conducted and analyzed, for getting primary information for the consumer perspective for the paper. This work is an explorative study, combining information for both the supply and demand sides of the home textiles segment in Sweden. Findings: After combining the findings from the literature review and the results from the analysis from the interviews, it can be concluded that there is a potential to establish a local value chain in Sweden. The situation is not ideal though, also potential risks and drawbacks related to the locality of the value chain of the home textiles segment that are presented have to be considered. The paper explores both the advantages and the disadvantages for producing locally in Sweden, to estimate the existing potential.