Homo Sustentabilis: circular economy and new business models in fashion industry

摘要

The overconsumption of fashion clothes and accessories is a dramatic reality in the last decades, linked with the worldeconomic growth. Also the life cycle of the fashion items become shorter, ruled by “fast fashion” industry and moved byconsumers’ desires (but not needs). The programed obsolesce is critical for this business strategy, reducing the ProductLife Cycle to few weeks. But this short time of cloths usage before disposal is an enormous environmental problem. Abehaviour of fashion overconsumption leads to an excessive use of natural resources (mainly fibres and water) and energy,generating millions of tons of textiles wastes every year and requires a transition model for sustainability and circulareconomy. End-of-life textiles are very complex to treat after disposal by the range of different fibers included, by thedifferent industrial processes done (including dying processes) and by the different clothing accessories (buttons, zips,metallic items, plastics and labels). It is needed new business models, focused in circular economy approaches, wherethe Homo Sustentabilis has the main role. Corporate Social Responsibility inside the companies can be integrated withthe new challenges and opportunities assessed by Industry 4.0 framed by the Forth Industrial Revolution, respondingat the environmental and social demanding of the millennial and Z generations.