Circular Economy Solutions for Sustainability in Textile and Silk Sector

The textile sector has a considerable environmental impact throughout its value chain. It has arisen as an important player in global manufacturing, producing a substantial 113 million tons of fiber in 2021. This figure is anticipated to arise to 149 million tons by the year 2030. Consequently, recycled textiles currently contribute less than 1% to the global fiber market, underscoring the urgent necessity for business models for circularity within the industry of textile. Circular economy (CE) is acknowledged as the most effective means to attain sustainability and circularity. Within this framework, the industry is a central focus of the forthcoming strategy related to Green Deal, regarding making Europe climate-neutral by 2050. This focus is echoed in the European Union (EU) textiles strategy, which aims to strengthen the market for circular and sustainable textiles within the EU. While numerous studies have explored the establishment of business models related to circularity, there is presently a need to shift attention to the silk industry, given its significance in the textile sector and its potential contribution to circularity. Educating consumers, who play an important part in attaining circularity in the silk industry, is essential. This chapter aims to gather insights from various perspectives, including the primary and secondary activities performed in the silk value chain, the implementation of circular strategies for the management of textile waste, and the strategies involve various methods comprising reusing, repairing, renting, reselling, refurbishing, and upcycling. These strategies can help attain circularity and lessen waste and the industry’s negative environmental impact. Furthermore, the revolutionary methods for silk waste recycling reveal how the industries can convert silk waste into the valuable products like new clothing and reinforcement composite and how this will minimize the impact of textile waste and boost the economic value.