IoT technologies in textile waste management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3846/bm.2026.2398Abstract
The textile industry has a significant environmental impact due to intensive water use, the application of chemical substances, and increasing volumes of textile waste. Nevertheless, textile waste collection processes in many countries remain poorly digitalised, as waste is collected using traditional outdoor containers that lack smart technologies or sensors to monitor waste generation flows in real time, thereby disrupting the performance of the entire management chain. The application of digital technologies, particularly the Internet of Things (IoT), offers opportunities to modernise textile waste management systems by transforming them into data-driven, transparent, and more efficient systems. The purpose of this Article is to assess the applicability of Internet of Things technologies within the textile waste management chain and to determine their potential to improve waste collection efficiency, flow forecasting, sorting and recycling. To achieve this objective, an expert evaluation using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was conducted, along with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to assess the impact of integrating IoT solutions throughout the textile waste management chain. The LCA results indicate that the implementation of IoT solutions enables more efficient textile waste collection and flow management, while significantly reducing environmental impacts throughout the waste management lifecycle.
Keywords:
IoT technologies, waste management, smart textile waste management, digitalizationHow to Cite
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