Enabling the twin transition of the textile industry: A systematic literature review

The textile industry, a significant resource consumer and polluter, ranks as the fourth-largest sector in raw material consumption and the fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. To address these significant environmental challenges, there is an urgent need for a transformative shift toward sustainable production paradigms. However, circular strategies specific to various textile materials still need to be explored in existing research. This manuscript examines the adoption of circular strategies in the textile industry, focusing on key materials such as cotton, polyester, wool, silk, linen, polyamide, viscose, flax, and azlons. A comprehensive systematic literature review of 82 eligible papers from the Scopus database identified critical research streams: circular strategies, digital technologies, and evaluation methods. Findings reveal that cotton and polyester have received the most attention in circular practices, particularly in areas such as closed-loop supply chains, textile waste management, reuse, recycling, etc. In contrast, materials like wool, silk, linen, polyamide, viscose, flax, and azlons have been insufficiently studied, highlighting a critical gap in the literature that needs to be addressed. The authors developed a conceptual framework based on these findings to enhance understanding of the current research landscape. This review emphasizes the need for further investigation into circular strategies for a broader range of textile materials and suggests potential pathways for future research, providing valuable insights for advancing sustainability in the textile sector.