Biodegradable Fashion for Textile Waste and Landfill Reduction: A Review

Abstract

Textile waste disposal in landfills has become a severe environmental issue related to the modern fashion production and consumption patterns. The massive adoption of synthetic fibres that are not very degradable has led to the prolonged material persistence and secondary pollution. The proposed solution to these issues has been biodegradable fashion wherein the textile products can be disposed by decomposing biologically at the end of their life. This paper is a review of the essential findings in the found literature on biodegradable textile materials, degradation behaviour and system-level waste management strategies. Natural, regenerated and bio- based biodegradable fibres are critically analysed as regards to their degradation mechanisms and their practical usefulness in fashion products. Besides that, the review assesses the effect of product design, waste management infrastructure and policy frameworks on the effectiveness of biodegradable fashion in reducing landfills.