Published Paper Details:

Abstract The global apparel industry has been growing rapidly, and consumers are purchasing and discarding garments more frequently due to low-cost "fast fashion." As a result, more used clothing is being discarded, harming the environment and creating problems for individuals and communities. Although recycling used clothing helps reduce these negative effects and make fashion more sustainable, many garments remain challenging to recycle effectively due to practical and technological barriers. Additionally, many garments are never recycled because there are enough effective procedures in place to collect, sort, and process used textile material. These systems are also very expensive to operate and lack the buildings or equipment required to manage all the waste. Many people lack basic knowledge about how to properly recycle, and government support for recycling is often weak. Improving textile recycling in various areas is made more difficult by these policy gaps. Even though recycling clothing is hard, there are a number of innovative ideas that could improve and simplify the process. The development of new devices and systems that can automatically sort and decompose used clothing into useful materials. Some technologies convert into new ones using chemical or enzymes, while others use computers and intelligent robots to separate different types of fabric faster and more accurately. Improvement of this nature raises hopes for the future recycling and repurposing of additional garment waste. Furthermore, strong economic regulation initiatives that make apparel manufacturing companies responsible for their goods can also contribute to moving fashion to a more sustainable industry. Better recycling of used clothing can be made faster by involving the cooperation and assistance of consumers, workers, the government, and brands. This review paper summarises the challenges and opportunities for recycling, providing suggestions for enhancing the recycling system and achieving long-term sustainability goals.