SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND ETHICAL BEHAVIOR OF CONSUMERS IN THE FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY

Traditionally shoes are made from leather and most of the worldwide population wear it, but there is a particular group of consumers, with an ethical behavior, who prefer shoes made from alternative materials. In our days, the main objective of the fashion industry (T&C, footwear) is to reduce the intensive use of fossil energy, non-renewable raw material and decreasing of landfill waste. In past years, sustainable and ethical consumption has become a popular topic in industries, has gained increasing importance in wealthy countries all over the world. This paper presents some point of view about ethical footwear and the consumer behavior, it also provides a brief overview of global consumption of footwear, as starting point for a new approach of the supply chain of footwear industry. The objective of this paper is to present consumers perception and interests regarding ethical footwear and ethical brands. To reach the main objective of the article, the methodology of the research consists in a survey applied to a target group of Romanian people, men and women, with average to high incomes, interested in buying less but sustainable products

THE INFLUENCE OF ZERO WASTE SEWING PATTERNS UPON THE APPAREL’S CO2 FOOTPRINT

The article depicts the study that has been conducted in investigating the impact that the sewing patterns have in regard to the carbon footprint of a single garment unit. The research has been conducted by following a practical method of drafting Zero Waste sewing patterns, that can be applied in the conceptual apparel’s design, with the aim to prevent the generation of preconsumer fabric waste throughout the manufacturing process, and thus preventing unnecessary CO2 emissions. The results provide valuable insight, which prove that by using geometric patterns, the CO2 footprint for a single garment unit can be reduced by 0.003 kg CO2

Raising Awareness of Textile Waste Contamination Danger

<p>Textiles are fundamental materials in fashion industries and other sectors, including healthcare and food service. Textiles can easily be contaminated with viruses, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms that can cause many diseases. Reducing the risk of transmission of micro-organisms, especially in a tragic post-pandemic context, has become one of the greatest modern concerns. Diverse methods of textile decontamination can be discussed, including thermal, chemical, and physical techniques and their effectiveness in eliminating microorganisms. In recent years, textile and footwear recycling has become a priority for the fashion industry due to its negative impact on the environment. Before being recycled, textile waste should be decontaminated to avoid the spread of pathogen agents. The purpose of this state-of-the-art research is to raise awareness regarding the need of establishing a decontamination step at the beginning of the textile waste recycling process to maintain safety standards from both the facility cross-contamination viewpoint and the human resource perspective.</p&gt

FEM Analysis of Textile Reinforced Composite Materials Impact Behavior

Composite materials reinforced with textile fabrics represent a complex subject. When explaining these materials, one must consider their mechanical behavior in general, and impact resistance in particular, as many applications are characterized by dynamic strains. Impact characteristics must be considered from the early stages of the design process in order to be controlled through structure, layer deposition and direction. Reinforcement materials are essential for the quality and behavior of composites, and textile reinforcements present a large range of advantages. It takes a good understanding of the requirements specific to an application to accurately design textile reinforcements. Currently, simulations of textile reinforcements and composites are efficient tools to forecast their behavior during both processing and use. The paper presents the steps that must be followed for modelling the impact behavior of composite materials, using finite element analysis (FEM). The FEM model built using Deform 3D software offers information concerning the behavior structure during impact. The behavior can be visualized for the structure as a whole and, for different sections, be considered significant. Furthermore, the structure’s strain can be visualized at any moment. In real impact tests, this is not possible due to the very short time interval and the impossibility to record inside the structure, as well as to record all significant stages using conventional means

Ozone–Vacuum-Based Decontamination: Balancing Environmental Responsibility and Textile Waste

This study explores the use of ozone decontamination as a sustainable approach for eradicating pathogens from various environments. Ozone, a highly reactive gas, demonstrates remarkable efficacy in eliminating bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Decontamination of textile materials using an innovative ozone treatment method conducted under vacuum conditions has been investigated. A hybrid apparatus comprising a vacuum and an ozone generator was employed for the decontamination process. Ozone decontamination offers environmental benefits by avoiding harmful by-products and minimising long-term environmental exposure. However, challenges include the need for proper equipment and training to ensure safety and effectiveness. This research underscores the promise of ozone decontamination as a powerful and eco-friendly method for pathogen eradication in textile materials with future developments in diverse settings

New Waste-Based Composite Material for Construction Applications

The global demand for fiber-based products is continuously increasing. The increased consumption and fast fashion current in the global clothing market generate a significant quantity of pre-and post-production waste that ends up in landfills and incinerators. The present study aims to obtain a new waste-based composite material panel for construction applications with improved mechanical properties that can replace traditional wood-based oriented strand boards (OSB). The new composite material is formed by using textile wastes as a reinforcement structure and a combination of bi-oriented polypropylene films (BOPP) waste, polypropylene non-woven materials (TNT) waste and virgin polypropylene fibers (PP) as a matrix. The mechanical properties of waste-based composite materials are modeled using the Taguchi method based on orthogonal arrays to maximize the composite characteristics’ mechanical properties. Experimental data validated the theoretical results obtained