Practices of Circular Economy in the Textile and Clothing Industry in Portugal: An Exploratory Study

Mass production to satisfy the current needs of the consumers has increased the levels of production and waste in many industries all over the world with severe implications on environmental sustainability. In such context, circular economy emerges as a new economic model, which intends to preserve the maximum value of products and materials to minimise waste production and reduce the extraction of resources. In recent years, the Textile and Clothing Industry has been considered one of the most polluting world industries, being widely dominated by the so-called fast fashion. Recently, a new paradigm shift has been observed, involving the adoption of new business models that include circular economy practices. A qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews has been adopted to examine the implementation of circular economy practices in the textile and clothing companies in Portugal, as well as to understand the main motivations and barriers that firms have experienced. The research results show that the implementation of circular economy practices is influenced by the perception of changes in market conditions, consumer behaviour and the personal motivations and values of the project leader. The use of circular economy practices essentially involves the extension of the life cycle of products, the reuse of resources and the use of renewable energy sources. The implementation of the circular economy practices is taken at micro, meso and macro levels. However, it is also followed by some barriers, namely economic, social, technical and political ones.