Sustainability, circular economy and digitalisation in the European textile and clothing industry: an applied maturity framework

The manufacture and sale of textile and clothing (T&C) products have witnessed steady growth in recent decades, with corresponding increases in raw materials consumption, waste generation, and negative environmental impact. Clothing and textiles have typically been produced in linear fashion, and only in recent years has the recycling of finished goods gained traction in the marketplace. Through a review of available literature, the article examines the core issues of sustainability, the circular economy and digitalisation in the T&C industry in Europe and puts forward a framework to assess the maturity of companies operating in this sector as regards these three interrelated themes. The framework is then applied in case study companies in five different European countries– Italy, Germany, Portugal, Bulgaria and Turkiye. The findings suggest the framework is of value in charting T&C company progress in the transition to circular economy practices and enabling digitalisation. In addition, the framework can be seen as a starting point for developing appropriate strategies and actions to progress this transition in a managed and targeted way. The article will be of interest to other researchers in this field of study, and to practitioners in the T&C industry charged with overseeing the move to the circular economy