A Traceability Platform for Monitoring Environmental and Social Sustainability in the Textile and Clothing Value Chain: Towards a Digital Passport for Textiles and Clothing
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Published:2023-12-21
Issue:1
Volume:16
Page:82
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ISSN:2071-1050
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Container-title:Sustainability
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Sustainability
Author:
Alves Luís1ORCID, Sá Miguel2ORCID, Cruz Estrela Ferreira13ORCID, Alves Toni4ORCID, Alves Marcelo5, Oliveira João2, Santos Manuel4ORCID, Rosado da Cruz António Miguel13ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Praça General Barbosa 44, 4900-348 Viana do Castelo, Portugal 2. CITEVE—Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias Têxtil e do Vestuário, Rua Fernando Mesquita 2785, 4760-034 Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal 3. ALGORITMI Research Lab, Escola de Engenharia–Universidade do Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal 4. Centro de Computação Gráfica, Campus de Azurém, Edifício 14, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal 5. INFOS-Informática e Serviços S.A., Rua Veloso Salgado 971 1011, 4450-801 Leça da Palmeira, Portugal
Abstract
Textile and clothing is one of the most important industrial sectors, not only due to the significant number of jobs generated, but also because it addresses one of the people’s fundamental needs (clothing). It is, however, a sector with a huge global environmental impact, and also an important negative social impact, especially in developing countries. Sustainability in the textile and clothing value chain is a known issue, concerning both environmental and economic-social facets of sustainability. One way to improve sustainability in this sector is by measuring and monitoring the environmental, economic and social impacts of activities along the value chain and, ultimately, computing an environmental and circular score for each batch of textile and clothing product, and an economic and social score for each involved company, reflected in their products. The consumer will then have the opportunity and responsibility for selecting products with the least negative environmental, economic and social impact. This article aims to propose a decentralized traceability platform for the textile and clothing value chain, based on blockchain technology, for tracing textile product batches and activities, along the value chain, classifying them with a score, which measures their environmental and social impact. The environmental, economic and social impact scores are based on a set of proposed indicators. The results are assessed through two test scenarios, namely a face towel (home textile) and a T-shirt (clothing).
Funder
European Regional Development Fund “Recovery and Resilience Plan”
Subject
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Geography, Planning and Development,Building and Construction
Reference28 articles.
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