Special issue: Textile waste management

Submission deadline: 31 December 2025

Scientific Journal: Waste Management (IF 7.1)

The global textile industry is an important part of modern society. However, it is one of the most resource-intensive and waste-generating sectors, contributing significantly to environmental pollution. With the rise of fast fashion and increasing consumption, textile waste generation has increased significantly and the management of those textile waste has become a pressing global challenge. This special issue (SI), titled Textile Waste Management, seeks to address the multifaceted challenges of this critical issue by attracting articles on cutting-edge research, innovative solutions, and interdisciplinary perspectives. The SI will explore key topics such as sustainable textile production and design, circular economy models, thrifting, thermal treatment, mechanical and chemical recycling and upcycling technologies, innovative recycling techniques, textile waste reduction strategies in textile industry and at the households, policy frameworks (i.e. EPR) and successful source separation schemes, microplastics and emerging pollutants generated during textile waste management, sustainable dyeing, biodegradable textiles. This special issue aims to advance our understanding of textile waste management and promote pathways toward a more sustainable and resilient textile industry. We invite contributions that address both the challenges and opportunities in this field, with the goal of reducing the environmental footprint not only during textile waste management but also during textile manufacturing and usage. Subtopics can be (but not limited to) the following:

Circular economy models in textile waste management
Sustainable design of textiles
Eco-friendly dyeing
Generation and composition of textile waste
Source separation systems
Mechanical (fiber to fiber) & chemical recycling of textile wastes
Reuse and innovative recycling
Thermal treatment of textile waste
Thrifting and social enterprise
Microplastics & emerging pollutants from textile wastes
LCA and material flow analysis
Biodegradable textiles in fast fashion
Extended Producer Responsibility and other policy issues

https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/320659/textile-waste-management