The Case of Fabric and Textile Industry: The Emerging Role of Digitalization, Internet-of-Things and Industry 4.0 for Circularity

Abstract

In the circular economy (CE) world, design is a vital tool to transform waste to wealth to enhance material recycling for new products (e.g., design for modularity, design for disassembly, etc.). Industry 4.0 technologies and digital innovations have recently provided positive impact towards CE transition, for instance through data-analysis of products lifecycle. In this regard, a close collaboration is required between industries, consumers and policy makers for a more detailed and precise data on product lifecycle and waste collection as well as consumer behavior. Accordingly, digitalization can help in tracking and tracing products through transferring the real-time data on products’ location, condition, availability, etc., which can boost product-life extension through sensors and digital platforms. In order to have a more efficient and effective CE solution, close collaboration is required among various actors of textile circular ecosystem, where the consumers are the core of such ecosystem. In this sense, IoT plays an essential role by transferring information and data to all the actors and improving their awareness of new circular opportunities. This paper focuses on how utilizing IoT will increase the opportunities of textile circulation towards a higher effective ecosystem and maximizing products value.