Project
Participatory modelling of pathways in the sustainable textile transition
Transitional paths for system transformation are complex and uncertain to policy makers, actors, and researchers. This project is aimed at the participatory modelling of essential features that key actors of the textile value chain consider important to know and explore so as to engage in a transition towards an economy based on sustainable textiles. The goal is to identify viable options and strategies for the textile transition. This includes an analysis of system actors and their behaviours, potential disruptions, thresholds, and trade-offs. We seek new collaborations between modellers, experts and key players in the textile sector for model development, to support reflection and critical action towards the textile transition.
Our primary tool towards this goal is participatory modelling with experts and stakeholders to jointly explore experienced technical, social and organisational challenges, and plausible transition pathways. The developed (agent-based) model is intended to be a virtual laboratory to simulate specific conditions under which transitions may take place to identify uncertainties and ramifications of specific policies for stakeholders to learn from. We will consider (combinations of) four chains from producers to consumers: 1) the traditional synthetic process of newly made clothes from synthetic materials, 2) a biobased process of newly made textiles from biobased materials, 3) a reuse of existing clothing items that are sold / brought back by consumers to retailers for reselling, and 4) the recycling of materials from existing clothing items.