Assessing Sustainability in the Textile Sector: A Review of LCA, LCC, and S-LCA Methodologies with a Focus on Polymeric Textile Materials and Circular Strategies Along with Future Perspectives

TL;DR

This paper reviews sustainability tools like LCA, LCC, and S-LCA in the textile industry, focusing on polymer materials and circular strategies to improve environmental and social outcomes.

Contribution

The paper provides a critical review of sustainability methodologies in the textile sector, emphasizing the need for integrated frameworks to assess circular solutions.

Findings

LCA, LCC, and S-LCA are often applied in a fragmented manner, limiting their effectiveness in holistic sustainability assessments.

Persistent challenges include system boundary definition, data quality, and methodological heterogeneity.

Integrated frameworks are needed to enhance decision-making for sustainable and circular transitions in the textile industry.

Abstract

The textile industry is facing increasing pressure to improve its sustainability performance across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. A substantial share of textile production relies on polymer-based fibers, such as polyester, polyamide, and acrylics, whose production, use, and end-of-life management raise significant sustainability challenges. In this context, life cycle-based assessment tools have become essential for supporting informed decision-making and guiding the transition toward more circular textile systems. This review critically examines the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC), and Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) within the textile sector, with a specific focus on polymeric textile materials and circular economy strategies. The analysis highlights the strengths and limitations of each methodology, emphasizing persistent challenges related to system boundary definition, data availability and quality, methodological heterogeneity, and limited comparability across studies. Particular attention is given to how methodological choices influence the robustness and interpretability of sustainability outcomes, especially when assessing circular solutions for polymer-based textiles. The review reveals that, despite their conceptual complementarity, LCA, LCC, and S-LCA are often applied in a fragmented manner, limiting their integration into holistic sustainability assessments. Overall, this work underscores the need for greater methodological alignment and integrated frameworks to enhance the decision-making relevance of life cycle-based tools and to effectively support sustainable and circular transitions in the textile industry.

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