IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i24p16683-d1001852.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Using LCA and Circularity Indicators to Measure the Sustainability of Textiles—Examples of Renewable and Non-Renewable Fibres

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen G. Wiedemann

    (Integrity Ag & Environment, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia)

  • Quan V. Nguyen

    (Integrity Ag & Environment, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
    Carbon Friendly Pty Ltd., Cleveland, Brisbane, QLD 4163, Australia
    Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7250, Australia)

  • Simon J. Clarke

    (Integrity Ag & Environment, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia)

Abstract

Reducing environmental impacts by increasing circularity is highly relevant to the textiles sector. Here, we examine results from life cycle assessment (LCA) and circularity indicators applied to renewable and non-renewable fibres to evaluate the synergies between the two approaches for improving sustainability assessment of textiles. Using LCA, impacts were quantified for sweaters made from fossil feedstock-derived and bio-based PET. These same sweaters were scored using four circularity indicators. Both sweaters showed similar fossil energy footprints, but the bio-PET raw material acquisition stage greenhouse gas, water and land occupation impacts were 1.9 to 60 times higher, leading to higher full life cycle impacts. These contrasts were principally determined by what raw material acquisition processes were considered outside the system boundary of the alternative feedstocks. Using circularity indicators, fossil-feedstock PET scored lowest (worst) because the feedstock was from a non-renewable source. These examples highlight the limitations of LCA: the renewability or non-renewability of raw materials is not fully considered, and contrasts in processes included within system boundaries can preclude equitable comparisons. For LCA to be suitable for quantifying sustainability, it should be complemented by circularity indicators capable of demonstrating the contrast between renewable and non-renewable raw materials, particularly in the case of textiles.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen G. Wiedemann & Quan V. Nguyen & Simon J. Clarke, 2022. "Using LCA and Circularity Indicators to Measure the Sustainability of Textiles—Examples of Renewable and Non-Renewable Fibres," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:24:p:16683-:d:1001852
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/24/16683/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/24/16683/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert A. Berner, 2003. "The long-term carbon cycle, fossil fuels and atmospheric composition," Nature, Nature, vol. 426(6964), pages 323-326, November.
    2. Wesley W. Ingwersen, 2011. "Emergy as a Life Cycle Impact Assessment Indicator," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 15(4), pages 550-567, August.
    3. Wang, Michael & Huo, Hong & Arora, Salil, 2011. "Methods of dealing with co-products of biofuels in life-cycle analysis and consequent results within the U.S. context," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 5726-5736, October.
    4. K. J. Watson & S. G. Wiedemann, 2019. "Review of Methodological Choices in LCA-Based Textile and Apparel Rating Tools: Key Issues and Recommendations Relating to Assessment of Fabrics Made From Natural Fibre Types," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-16, July.
    5. Zhang, Yizhen, 2018. "Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Biofuels: The Role of Co-products," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt2ct9d4dr, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mohammadreza Naeimirad & Bas Krins & Gert-Jan M. Gruter, 2023. "A Review on Melt-Spun Biodegradable Fibers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-56, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Valero, Antonio & Agudelo, Andrés & Valero, Alicia, 2011. "The crepuscular planet. A model for the exhausted atmosphere and hydrosphere," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 3745-3753.
    2. Seber, Gonca & Escobar, Neus & Valin, Hugo & Malina, Robert, 2022. "Uncertainty in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of sustainable aviation fuels from vegetable oils," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    3. Thomassen, Gwenny & Van Dael, Miet & Lemmens, Bert & Van Passel, Steven, 2017. "A review of the sustainability of algal-based biorefineries: Towards an integrated assessment framework," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P2), pages 876-887.
    4. Cai, Hao & Burnham, Andrew & Chen, Rui & Wang, Michael, 2017. "Wells to wheels: Environmental implications of natural gas as a transportation fuel," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 565-578.
    5. Hermann, Weston A., 2006. "Quantifying global exergy resources," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(12), pages 1685-1702.
    6. Wang, Changbo & Chang, Yuan & Zhang, Lixiao & Chen, Yongsheng & Pang, Mingyue, 2018. "Quantifying uncertainties in greenhouse gas accounting of biomass power generation in China: System boundary and parameters," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 121-127.
    7. Hoekman, S. Kent & Broch, Amber, 2018. "Environmental implications of higher ethanol production and use in the U.S.: A literature review. Part II – Biodiversity, land use change, GHG emissions, and sustainability," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 3159-3177.
    8. Forte, Annachiara & Zucaro, Amalia & Faugno, Salvatore & Basosi, Riccardo & Fierro, Angelo, 2018. "Carbon footprint and fossil energy consumption of bio-ethanol fuel production from Arundo donax L. crops on marginal lands of Southern Italy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 222-235.
    9. Xu, H. & Lee, U. & Wang, M., 2020. "Life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of palm fatty acid distillate derived renewable diesel," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    10. Yang, Q. & Chen, G.Q., 2013. "Greenhouse gas emissions of corn–ethanol production in China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 176-184.
    11. Tong, Huanhuan & Shen, Ye & Zhang, Jingxin & Wang, Chi-Hwa & Ge, Tian Shu & Tong, Yen Wah, 2018. "A comparative life cycle assessment on four waste-to-energy scenarios for food waste generated in eateries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 1143-1157.
    12. Liu, Zhe & Adams, Michelle & Cote, Raymond P. & Geng, Yong & Chen, Qinghua & Liu, Weili & Sun, Lu & Yu, Xiaoman, 2017. "Comprehensive development of industrial symbiosis for the response of greenhouse gases emission mitigation: Challenges and opportunities in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 88-95.
    13. Zhang, Tingting & Xie, Xiaomin & Huang, Zhen, 2017. "The policy recommendations on cassava ethanol in China: Analyzed from the perspective of life cycle “2E&W”," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 12-24.
    14. Fabio Menten & Benoît Chèze & Laure Patouillard & Frédérique Bouvart, 2013. "The use of Meta-Regression Analysis to harmonize LCA literature: an application to GHG emissions of 2nd and 3rd generation biofuels," Working Papers 2013/01, INRA, Economie Publique.
    15. Yang, Q. & Chen, G.Q., 2012. "Nonrenewable energy cost of corn-ethanol in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 340-347.
    16. Yao, Dong & Xu, Zaifeng & Qi, Huaqing & Zhu, Zhaoyou & Gao, Jun & Wang, Yinglong & Cui, Peizhe, 2022. "Carbon footprint and water footprint analysis of generating synthetic natural gas from biomass," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 780-789.
    17. Trivedi, Parthsarathi & Olcay, Hakan & Staples, Mark D. & Withers, Mitch R. & Malina, Robert & Barrett, Steven R.H., 2015. "Energy return on investment for alternative jet fuels," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 167-174.
    18. Zhu, Yuli & Liang, Ji & Yang, Qing & Zhou, Hewen & Peng, Kun, 2019. "Water use of a biomass direct-combustion power generation system in China: A combination of life cycle assessment and water footprint analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    19. Rodrigo A. F. Alvarenga & Ittana De Oliveira Lins & José Adolfo de Almeida Neto, 2016. "Evaluation of Abiotic Resource LCIA Methods," Resources, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-21, February.
    20. Menten, Fabio & Chèze, Benoît & Patouillard, Laure & Bouvart, Frédérique, 2013. "A review of LCA greenhouse gas emissions results for advanced biofuels: The use of meta-regression analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 108-134.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:24:p:16683-:d:1001852. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.