This project investigated the interplay between consumer motivations, fibre sustainability, and the environmental impact of textiles, with a focus on Australian cotton and competing fibres, including emerging sustainable and recycled options. The study addresses the growing consumer demand for transparency and ethical practices while highlighting the limitations of current tools like life-cycle analyses (LCA) and the Higg Material Sustainability Index (MSI) when applied to new and legacy fibres. Challenges such as a scarcity of data related to textile processing, consumer wear and washing behaviours and end-of-life disposal, uncertainties in impact assessment, and the lack of industry standards underscore the need for more robust methodologies. Through scenario analysis, the research has evaluated fibre production, processing, and end-of-life practices, emphasizing the potential for circularity. A formal choice experiment (CE) survey linking technical assessments with market preferences was conducted to further assess consumer’s willingness to pay for sustainability attributes.
Three peer review papers have been written. The first describes research that underscores the importance of sustainability in consumer decisions and the textile industry. A willingness to pay (WTP) study revealed a majority (>60%) of Australian consumers were willing to pay a premium for cotton t-shirts with sustainable certifications, highlighting the economic value of environmental and ethical features. A research paper has also critiqued existing LCA frameworks for their inadequacy in assessing circular textile systems, advocating for expanded methodologies to address circular economy principles. And a third paper applied LCA to Australian cotton, exploring circularity strategies like recycling and extended garment lifespan while identifying consumer behaviour during the use phase as a critical determinant of environmental outcomes. Collectively, the findings advance knowledge on fibre sustainability, bridging technical insights and consumer behaviour to support a transition towards more transparent, circular, and responsible textile practices.