CORTEP 2022 IASI-RO

DOI: 10.2478/9788367405133-027

APPROACHES TO RECYCLING IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

Abstract. The process of recycling in the fashion industry began to take a full scale due to the disastrous effects
on the environment, as the industry is considered one of the biggest polluters globally. Clothing products
become waste when they end their life cycle. This problem appears due to the increasing number of new
products on the market and because they no longer meet the consumer's needs or wants of being usable (they
are no longer aesthetically pleasing or corresponding dimensionally). Thus, introducing the upcycling process
opens a new door to creating a continuous loop for reducing clothing waste. This study presents some
theoretical aspects regarding an improved method of applying the upcycling process; this approach involves
studying the conditions that must be met for a clothing product to be viable and compatible with this method,
taking into consideration some constructive and technological parameters. The end-of-life of clothing products
could be seen as a material ready to be recycled and as a base for building a new and improved garment by
applying a new design or decoration. One of the essential advantages of such approaches is the possibility of
closing the loop of recycling clothing products, thus reducing the effects of environmental pollution. Although
there are similarities between standard approaches and upcycling processes, the latter requires specific
considerations to achieve the most efficient design and production processes. This method includes sourcing
fabrics earlier in the design process and ensuring that patterns and technical details are consistent with
available material resources. Upcycling is a process that can reduce the volume of clothing waste in landfills.
This method is also beneficial for reducing carbon emissions and other harmful effects on the environment.

Keywords: fashion industry, recycling, upcycling, processes, innovation, design, environment.

1. INTRODUCTION
In recent years the fashion industry has developed more and more, simultaneously amplifying the disastrous
environmental effects. Thus, more designers and entrepreneurs have started to adopt a more sustainable
approach to making and selling clothing products [1]. In this context, the upcycling process is one of the
most powerful methods of addressing sustainability.
Upcycling represents a clothing product's transformation that has reached the end of its life cycle through
disassembly, design, sewing, and cutting processes into a new product, bringing added value to it from a
qualitative and aesthetic point of view.
According to the Oxford dictionary (2022), the term upcycling is defined as "the process in which an article
or material considered waste is processed in such a way that will result in a different product, with a high
value from an aesthetic and qualitative point of view, in comparison with the original product" [2].
The dictionary of Sustainable Management (2014) describes the upcycling process as "a process of
transforming a material into something similar but of high value" [3]. Although in recent years, the term
itself has become quite well-known in the field of the fashion industry, there needs to be more publications
or scientific papers to provide sufficient information regarding a good understanding of the upcycling
process [4].

© 2023 L. M. Popa, A. Curteza. This is an open access article licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial-NoDerivs License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-
nd/3.0/).https://doi.org/10.2478/9788367405133-027
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Definitions to present upcycling as a process of improving the quality of post-consumer products or material
residues so they can be transformed into new products are rarely encountered [5]. Despite the well-known
approaches, the most common words, such as "value" and "quality", do not provide a deep enough
explanation because, for each author, the considerations regarding the added value of a product may be
different [6, 7]. In addition, the literature in the fields of fashion and textiles focuses more on using textile
waste to make new products [5, 8]. McDonough and Braungart (2002) describe the upcycling process as a
sustainable approach to reducing environmental pollution by processing textile waste and being designed
to achieve a continuous loop in the life cycle of a product [9].
Thanks to the upcycling process, clothing products that no longer serve the needs of consumers, instead of
being stored or incinerated, can be reused again and again, thus reducing carbon emissions, energy
consumption, air pollution, and material consumption [10]. The more the industry advances in the circular
economy approach, the more the upcycling process will be implemented by as many brands as possible and
sought by as many consumers as possible, being a greener approach to recycling [11].
Currently, most brands are focusing on faster development of this process, trying to solve the problems
generated by slow fashion production and involving the consumers as much as possible. Recently, products
have not been designed to withstand disintegration (synthetic fibers being difficult to recycle) and to be
used as much as possible, but rather to accelerate the end of their life cycle and implicitly consume [12].
Brands such as Patagonia encourage consumers to buy as little as possible, dedicating a particular page to
items that can be returned to them after use [13]. The rapid development of the upcycling process and its
implementation by as many companies as possible presents an opportunity for designers to minimize the
current problem of excess pre-consumer and post-consumer waste [14]. Thanks to the upcycling process,
at the product level, it will gradually be possible to eliminate the need to manufacture a product from the
beginning of its life cycle [15].
Within these new approaches, some theoretical research was carried out to determine the selection
conditions that must be met by a clothing product (such as fabrics, structure, technology, and defects) to
enter the upcycling process. Barriers and solutions regarding this approach were analyzed as ways to
improve the product's appearance and transform it by applying the upcycling process. The object of this
study was to overview the current state of scientific studies in the field of sustainable approaches in the
fashion industry and to give new perspectives on future research regarding the upcycling process.

2. DISCUSSIONS
Ninety-five scientific papers consistent with the upcycling process have been analyzed. As the years go by,
more scientific papers are reported on the upcycling approach in the fashion industry. The concept of
upcycling has many potential applications. Some experts allow themselves to be guided by the premise that
this activity focuses only on disassembling the products that have reached the end of their life cycle and
transforming them into new ones. Others believe upcycling is an artistic activity that gives the products a
new opportunity to use. It is essential to understand the process to adjust it on a larger scale (stages,
conditions, applicability) [16]; some studies show that a multidisciplinary approach is needed. This method
involves a systematic approach that keeps track of the material flow for the entire production cycle [17,
18]. This approach is not easy to be achieved due to the technical problems encountered, such as the
immature flows of upcycling that cannot handle all types of materials and inconsistent supply of finished
materials [19, 20].
For the people involved in the upcycling process at the product level, different problems can transform this
process into an unattractive one. These include the low volume of solutions, which could be better for
everyone, a low market, and the rarity of consumers willing to part with their clothing products [15]. The
upcycling process takes much time to think about, implement, and even practice. This process is an
expensive and complex process that discourages many practitioners, mainly because these manufacturing,
selling, and promotion expenses need to be reflected in the final product price, being a step back for
companies in terms of profitability [21, 22].
Pezhman Ghadimi et al. (2013) presented and analyzed new methods of measuring the degree of
sustainability a product or process can have [23]. In 2010, the first sustainability evaluation method was
presented. This method also provides a method of selecting the products that will be used later for study
and transformation [24].

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Another proposed method comes under the name “Green Pro”, which is intended primarily for product
design processes and used by environmental requirements. This method minimizes the impact of the
process on the environment. It represents a solution to identify the cost-effectiveness of the process earlier.
This method allows the pollution factors and the technology required to be balanced more easily [23,25].
However, the Green Pro method features another newer version, Green Pro One. The latter is a combination
of sustainable methodologies built on a multidisciplinary concept, being a friendlier approach in the product
design process. The main benefit of this method is the ability to maximize the results, thus improving the
process from the beginning. The main disadvantage is that this method needs to focus on the benefits
brought to the consumer rather than on the design process itself [23, 26, 27].
Most of the studied papers do not detail the context and structure of an upcycling process. Still, there are
exceptions, such as "Sustainable Trendsetters: Upcycling and Rejuvenation of Textile Apparel using
Computational Technology" or "Developing a creative method for reuse of clothing". These studies focus
on the design and engineering stages in the upcycling concept, at the practical level with textile waste, more
precisely, the creation of wardrobes from new products transformed through the upcycling process. Both
studies used 2D and 3D CAD design software [28, 29].
The study by Kyungeun Sung (2015) presents a systematic aiming to implement several steps that must be
followed to discover all the necessary information to create a database for future research on the upcycling
process. This information is listed in its definitions, what the process consists of, and the amount of
information that currently exists in the primary literature specific to sustainable fashion) [4]. Thus, as a first
approach, it is necessary to select the research information that is needed to be implemented by formulating
questions and then by being able to form the necessary database. This way, the search terms and the
application of the research criteria will ensure good results and synthesis [4, 30].

3. CONCLUSIONS
Following the papers analyzed within the approaches to recycling, more precisely upcycling, it can be said
that the results and conclusions presented highlight the potential of applying the concept of upcycling in
the fashion industry; it can reduce the high volume of waste and decrease the impact on the environment.
All these emphasize the importance of understanding the issue of time and high costs and the significance
of the designer's perspective and skills in the design process.
This study contributes to new perspectives on the current state of practice of the upcycling concept and
underlines new solutions that can be adopted. Upcycling is a process that can reduce the volume of clothing
waste and is also beneficial for minimizing carbon emissions and other harmful effects on the environment.
Although countless scientific works address sustainability in the fashion industry, only a few focus on the
upcycling process.
Studying the types of clothing that could be reinvented or transformed is vital to upcycle. At the same time,
the visual concept plays an essential role in creating a sustainable product that can be easily redesigned at
the end of its life cycle to close the loop. Experimental prototypes and developed products as beneficial as
possible for the environment and subsequent uses, are just some of the critical factors towards the
involvement of the upcycling process on a larger scale.
After analyzing the various application methods of this concept reported in various papers and articles, it
can be stated, in conclusion, that the approaches are still early. Promising developments and
implementations of the upcycling process are smaller at the macro level and more present at the micro level.
However, these represent a start towards a beneficial change in the fashion and textile industry and its
environmental impact.

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