Challenges and opportunities of the circular economy in the textile industry in Cucuta
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Circular economy, textile industry, innovation, sustainability
The circular economy in the textile industry is a strategy to address the environmental impacts caused by textile manufacturing, a field that contributes significantly to textile waste pollution. This environmental impact occurs both globally and nationally. This article conducted a study to define the challenges and opportunities presented by the circular economy in the Colombian textile industry, specifically in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, where garment manufacturing is an important pillar of the economy but also faces technological, cultural, and organizational limitations. In addition, this study contains a systematic scientific observation and a qualitative methodology based on open surveys and a focus group. Obstacles to the adoption of circular prototypes were identified, and the results showed that although there is an understanding of the environmental and economic benefits of eco-design, material reuse, and garment repair, the use of this pattern is very low due to a lack of infrastructure, low investment in technological innovation, high costs, and weak environmental responsibility on the part of companies and consumers who favor fast fashion at low costs. There are benefits such as green jobs and trade disputes, entry into new sustainable markets, and support for regional economic development. Ultimately, the opportunity to establish a circular model in the textile industry will depend on the unity of the sector's stakeholders. The state and consumers, the strengthening of public policies that favor sustainable practices, technical education for environmental improvement, and the growth of a culture of responsible use will enable progress toward a more efficient and sustainable production model.
Agyemang, M., Kusi-Sarpong, S., Khan, S. A., Mani, V., Rehman, S. T., & Kusi-sarpong, H. (2019). Drivers and barriers to circular economy implementation: An explorative study in Pakistan’s automobile industry. Management Decision, 57(4), 971–994. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2018-1178
Pires, P. B., Morais, C., Delgado, C. J. M., & Santos, J. D. (2024). Sustainable fashion: Conceptualization, purchase determinants, and willingness to pay more. Administrative Sciences, 14, 143. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14070143
Batool, G., & Mazahir, S. (2023). Circular business model. En Título del libro o compendio si lo tienes (pp. 233–246). Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49479-6_9
Bocken, N., Pauw, I., Bakker, C. A., & van der Grinten, B. (2016). Product design and business model strategies for a circular economy. Journal of Industrial Production Engineering, 1015. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jie.2015.11.002
Choudhury, K. R. (2014). Environmental impacts of the textile industry and its assessment through life cycle assessment. En S. S. Muthu (Ed.), Roadmap to sustainable textiles and clothing (pp. 1-40). Springer Science+Business Media Singapore. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-110-7_1
Castellanos-Barón, K. V., & Gualdrón-Rodriguez, E. J. (2025). Desafíos de la economía circular en la industria de la moda en Cúcuta. Reflexiones Contables, 8(1), 40-52. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.22463/26655543.4797
Carrascal Mendoza, H. D., & Rodríguez Bautista, F. (2025). Análisis de las iniciativas de responsabilidad social en empresas textiles con modelos de doble función para el mercado infantil y preadolescente. Ediciones Universidad Simón Bolívar. Recuperado de https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12442/16578
Jimenez-Fernandez, A., Aramendia-Muneta, M. E., & Alzate, M. (2023). Consumers’ awareness and attitudes in circular fashion. Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 11, 100144. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clrc.2023.100144
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2021). Circular economy in fashion: Designing for change. Recuperado de https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
Eslava Lasprilla, J. A., Charry, D., & Rico Torres, N. (2025). Impacto de la economía circular en el sector textil en Colombia. Universidad EAN. Recuperado de https://repository.universidadean.edu.co/server/api/core/bitstreams/5e9aa8ed-cd29-486a-8bd0-278298c4c871/content
Fletcher, K. (2012). Sustainable fashion and textiles: Design journeys. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849772778
Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., Bocken, N. M. P., & Hultink, E. J. (2017). The circular economy: A new sustainability paradigm? Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 757–768. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.048
Hernández-Sampieri, R., Fernández, C., & Baptista, P. (2014). Metodología de la investigación (6a ed.). McGraw-Hill. Recuperado de https://apiperiodico.jalisco.gob.mx/api/sites/periodicooficial.jalisco.gob.mx/files/metodologia_de_la_investigacion_-_roberto_hernandez_sampieri.pdf
López Gaviria, A., Muñoz, P., & Ríos, C. (2021). Estrategias de economía circular para aumentar la competitividad de la moda colombiana. Revista de Innovación Empresarial, 10(3), 55–70. Recuperado de https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/fa79/ba45308a308bbeaff16dd7625c715b1fe6
Martínez-Salgado, C. (2012). El muestreo en investigación cualitativa. Revista Colombiana de Sociología, 35(1), 113–128. Recuperado de https://www.scielo.br/j/csc/a/VgFnXGmqhGHNMBsv4h76tyg/?format=html&lang=e
Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible. (2023). Lineamientos nacionales de economía circular para la industria colombiana. Recuperado de https://minambiente.gov.co
Mishra, V., & Jain, P. (2023). Technological innovation for sustainable textile production. Journal of Eco-Technology, 9(4), 77–92. Recuperado de https://impactotic.co/innovacion/transformacion-digital/innovacion-industria-textil-avances-tecnologicos/
Politi, A., Singh, R., & Verma, K. (2024). Promoviendo la economía circular mediante diseño para el desmontaje en textiles. International Journal of Circular Design, 2(1), 45–63. Recuperado de https://observatoriotextilymoda.es/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Informe_Observatorio-Textil-y-Moda-2024.pdf
Sandin, G., & Peters, G. (2018). Environmental impact of textile recycling technologies. Journal of Environmental Management, 247, 10–21. Recuperado de https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652618305985
Kitchenham, B. (2004). Procedures for performing systematic reviews. Keele University. Recuperado de https://www.inf.ufsc.br/~aldo.vw/kitchenham.pdf
López-Muñoz, J., & Ríos Sánchez, M. (2022). Economía circular y transformación productiva en sectores intensivos en recursos: Una revisión crítica para América Latina. Revista de Estudios Ambientales, 14(2), 55–73. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.22201/rev.est.ambiental.2022.14.2.455
Ramírez, L. F., & Cardona, A. M. (2023). Modelos de circularidad en la industria textil: Retos y oportunidades para economías emergentes. Revista Latinoamericana de Desarrollo Sostenible, 9(1), 112–130. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.55935/rlads.v9i1.982
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4.ª ed.). SAGE Publications. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526430028
Flick, U. (2018). An introduction to qualitative research (6th ed.). SAGE Publications. Recuperado de https://edmorata.es/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Flick.-Introduccion-a-la-investigacion-cualitativa_prw.pdf
Denzin, N. K. (2017). The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological methods (4.ª ed.). Routledge. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315082995
The circular economy in the textile industry is a strategy to address the environmental impacts caused by textile manufacturing, a field that contributes significantly to textile waste pollution. This environmental impact occurs both globally and nationally. This article conducted a study to define the challenges and opportunities presented by the circular economy in the Colombian textile industry, specifically in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, where garment manufacturing is an important pillar of the economy but also faces technological, cultural, and organizational limitations. In addition, this study contains a systematic scientific observation and a qualitative methodology based on open surveys and a focus group. Obstacles to the adoption of circular prototypes were identified, and the results showed that although there is an understanding of the environmental and economic benefits of eco-design, material reuse, and garment repair, the use of this pattern is very low due to a lack of infrastructure, low investment in technological innovation, high costs, and weak environmental responsibility on the part of companies and consumers who favor fast fashion at low costs. There are benefits such as green jobs and trade disputes, entry into new sustainable markets, and support for regional economic development. Ultimately, the opportunity to establish a circular model in the textile industry will depend on the unity of the sector's stakeholders. The state and consumers, the strengthening of public policies that favor sustainable practices, technical education for environmental improvement, and the growth of a culture of responsible use will enable progress toward a more efficient and sustainable production model.
Agyemang, M., Kusi-Sarpong, S., Khan, S. A., Mani, V., Rehman, S. T., & Kusi-sarpong, H. (2019). Drivers and barriers to circular economy implementation: An explorative study in Pakistan’s automobile industry. Management Decision, 57(4), 971–994. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2018-1178
Pires, P. B., Morais, C., Delgado, C. J. M., & Santos, J. D. (2024). Sustainable fashion: Conceptualization, purchase determinants, and willingness to pay more. Administrative Sciences, 14, 143. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14070143
Batool, G., & Mazahir, S. (2023). Circular business model. En Título del libro o compendio si lo tienes (pp. 233–246). Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49479-6_9
Bocken, N., Pauw, I., Bakker, C. A., & van der Grinten, B. (2016). Product design and business model strategies for a circular economy. Journal of Industrial Production Engineering, 1015. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jie.2015.11.002
Choudhury, K. R. (2014). Environmental impacts of the textile industry and its assessment through life cycle assessment. En S. S. Muthu (Ed.), Roadmap to sustainable textiles and clothing (pp. 1-40). Springer Science+Business Media Singapore. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-110-7_1
Castellanos-Barón, K. V., & Gualdrón-Rodriguez, E. J. (2025). Desafíos de la economía circular en la industria de la moda en Cúcuta. Reflexiones Contables, 8(1), 40-52. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.22463/26655543.4797
Carrascal Mendoza, H. D., & Rodríguez Bautista, F. (2025). Análisis de las iniciativas de responsabilidad social en empresas textiles con modelos de doble función para el mercado infantil y preadolescente. Ediciones Universidad Simón Bolívar. Recuperado de https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12442/16578
Jimenez-Fernandez, A., Aramendia-Muneta, M. E., & Alzate, M. (2023). Consumers’ awareness and attitudes in circular fashion. Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 11, 100144. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clrc.2023.100144
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2021). Circular economy in fashion: Designing for change. Recuperado de https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
Eslava Lasprilla, J. A., Charry, D., & Rico Torres, N. (2025). Impacto de la economía circular en el sector textil en Colombia. Universidad EAN. Recuperado de https://repository.universidadean.edu.co/server/api/core/bitstreams/5e9aa8ed-cd29-486a-8bd0-278298c4c871/content
Fletcher, K. (2012). Sustainable fashion and textiles: Design journeys. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849772778
Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., Bocken, N. M. P., & Hultink, E. J. (2017). The circular economy: A new sustainability paradigm? Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 757–768. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.048
Hernández-Sampieri, R., Fernández, C., & Baptista, P. (2014). Metodología de la investigación (6a ed.). McGraw-Hill. Recuperado de https://apiperiodico.jalisco.gob.mx/api/sites/periodicooficial.jalisco.gob.mx/files/metodologia_de_la_investigacion_-_roberto_hernandez_sampieri.pdf
López Gaviria, A., Muñoz, P., & Ríos, C. (2021). Estrategias de economía circular para aumentar la competitividad de la moda colombiana. Revista de Innovación Empresarial, 10(3), 55–70. Recuperado de https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/fa79/ba45308a308bbeaff16dd7625c715b1fe6
Martínez-Salgado, C. (2012). El muestreo en investigación cualitativa. Revista Colombiana de Sociología, 35(1), 113–128. Recuperado de https://www.scielo.br/j/csc/a/VgFnXGmqhGHNMBsv4h76tyg/?format=html&lang=e
Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible. (2023). Lineamientos nacionales de economía circular para la industria colombiana. Recuperado de https://minambiente.gov.co
Mishra, V., & Jain, P. (2023). Technological innovation for sustainable textile production. Journal of Eco-Technology, 9(4), 77–92. Recuperado de https://impactotic.co/innovacion/transformacion-digital/innovacion-industria-textil-avances-tecnologicos/
Politi, A., Singh, R., & Verma, K. (2024). Promoviendo la economía circular mediante diseño para el desmontaje en textiles. International Journal of Circular Design, 2(1), 45–63. Recuperado de https://observatoriotextilymoda.es/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Informe_Observatorio-Textil-y-Moda-2024.pdf
Sandin, G., & Peters, G. (2018). Environmental impact of textile recycling technologies. Journal of Environmental Management, 247, 10–21. Recuperado de https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652618305985
Kitchenham, B. (2004). Procedures for performing systematic reviews. Keele University. Recuperado de https://www.inf.ufsc.br/~aldo.vw/kitchenham.pdf
López-Muñoz, J., & Ríos Sánchez, M. (2022). Economía circular y transformación productiva en sectores intensivos en recursos: Una revisión crítica para América Latina. Revista de Estudios Ambientales, 14(2), 55–73. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.22201/rev.est.ambiental.2022.14.2.455
Ramírez, L. F., & Cardona, A. M. (2023). Modelos de circularidad en la industria textil: Retos y oportunidades para economías emergentes. Revista Latinoamericana de Desarrollo Sostenible, 9(1), 112–130. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.55935/rlads.v9i1.982
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4.ª ed.). SAGE Publications. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526430028
Flick, U. (2018). An introduction to qualitative research (6th ed.). SAGE Publications. Recuperado de https://edmorata.es/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Flick.-Introduccion-a-la-investigacion-cualitativa_prw.pdf
Denzin, N. K. (2017). The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological methods (4.ª ed.). Routledge. Recuperado de https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315082995
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