Waste Ecologies. Circular Pathways Reshaping Italian Fashion Manufacturing

Abstract

The ecological transition is compelling the Made in Italy fashion and manufacturing ecosystem to confront the material and organizational implications of circularity. Pre- and post-consumer waste streams—long overlooked or treated as residual—are becoming strategic sites for innovation, revealing both structural vulnerabilities and untapped opportunities within Italy’s specialized industrial districts. This article traces how emerging European regulations, evolving infrastructural capacities, and regenerative design approaches are reshaping traditional production models, challenging established value chains while enabling new forms of material responsibility. By integrating a multi-scalar perspective on waste generation and recovery, the study highlights the systemic reconfiguration underway and argues that the future competitiveness of Made in Italy depends on its ability to transform waste into a driver of ecological and industrial renewal.