Textile waste management in Australia: A review

Abstract

Textile sector accounts for around 10% of worldwide CO₂ emissions. Textile waste is a global problem. It is a significant and quickly expanding issue in Australia, with the lowest recovery rate of all waste kinds. The entire understanding of textile waste management is incomplete. This study aims to analyse textile waste management in Australia from the perspectives of textile consumption and waste generation, the role of social entrepreneurs and charities, recent initiatives by government and other organizations, and textile waste laws and regulations. The findings of this study indicate that (1) Textile consumption and waste data are insufficient to unveil the circular economy potential; (2) Textile waste management processing capacities were lacking; (3) Clear instructions are required to comprehend textile waste laws and regulations; (4) To combat the textile waste issue, consumer awareness of managing textile waste should be raised. Future research should focus on data collection for model development.