Circular Bioeconomy Models in Textile Waste Management: Pathways to Sustainability

The Circular Economy (CE) is a foundational element of the 2022 European Green Deal, aiming to promote sustainability across product lifecycles by minimizing resource use, extending product life, and transforming waste into valuable resources. In parallel, the bioeconomy emphasizes the sustainable use of renewable biological resources, leveraging biotechnological advancements to create biobased products. The integration of CE and bioeconomy principles, known as Circular Bioeconomy (CBE), presents significant opportunities for advancing sustainable development through waste reduction, resource efficiency, and the use of renewable biological materials (Salvador et al., 2022). However, existing literature lacks a unified framework that fully integrates these two fields. Carus and Dammer (2018) contend that while CE and CBE share overlapping goals, the connection between them remains underdeveloped. CBE, therefore, represents a promising framework that connects CE’s circularity with the bioeconomy’s innovative potential, offering a comprehensive approach to sustainable resource utilization. Business Models (BMs) play a crucial role in facilitating the transition to CBE. Redesigning traditional BMs is both complex and resource-intensive. Although there is a growing body of literature offering insights into this transition - focusing on the capabilities needed for success and potential pathways for businesses (Santa-Maria et al., 2022; Guo et al., 2022) - the factors that enable the successful adoption of GCBMs in the textile industry remain unclear. The textile industry faces major challenges related to resource consumption, waste management, and environmental degradation. As the industry grows, so does its environmental impact, making the adoption of Circular Bioeconomy Models (CBEMs) in waste management essential for sustainability (Basile et al., 2025). Adopting agro-waste and bio-based materials, such as cotton stalks, flax, and hemp, provides eco-friendly alternatives to non-renewable resources (Santulli, 2021). Biobased fabrics from renewable sources like algae or mushrooms offer biodegradable and recyclable options, reducing the textile industry's environmental footprint. Technological innovations, including microplastic pollution reduction, digital material tracking, and biodegradable textiles, support circular practices in the textile sector by improving recycling efficiency, material recovery, and waste reduction. Consumer behaviour is a key driver for adopting circular practices. As awareness of textile waste's environmental impact grows, there is increasing demand for eco-friendly products and sustainable consumption. This shift encourages brands to adopt CBEMs and promotes recycling through public awareness campaigns. This chapter examines how CE principles - such as waste reduction, resource recovery, and extending product lifecycles - can address the textile waste crisis. It also highlights innovations in business models, recycling technologies, and sustainable design strategies aimed at improving resource efficiency. Furthermore, this chapter explores how CBEMs in textile waste management offer an effective pathway to reducing the environmental impact of the textile industry. By emphasizing sustainable design, technological innovations, CBEMs, and consumer engagement, the sector can transition toward a more sustainable future.