Short answer
Shift focus from solely recycling to prioritizing product design for longevity and establishing systems that enable widespread reuse of fashion items.
- Field
- Sustainability
- Source
- Business Strategy and the Environment (2025)
- Method
- Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Stakeholder analysis reveals that reuse is the most effective end-of-life strategy for fashion products, outperforming both mechanical and chemical recycling, and significantly better than landfill disposal. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Business Strategy and the Environment. Using Multicriteria decision analysis (mcda), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Shift focus from solely recycling to prioritizing product design for longevity and establishing systems that enable widespread reuse of fashion items.
Prioritizing Reuse Over Recycling for Fashion's End-of-Life Strategy
Stakeholder analysis reveals that reuse is the most effective end-of-life strategy for fashion products, outperforming both mechanical and chemical recycling, and significantly better than landfill disposal.
Business Strategy and the Environment · 2025
Key Findings
- 01Sustainable policy considerations were weighted more heavily than economic and environmental factors.
- 02Technological and social aspects received relatively lower weighting.
- 03Reuse emerged as the most beneficial end-of-life strategy.
- 04Mechanical recycling and chemical recycling were ranked second and third, respectively.
- 05Avoiding landfill disposal is critical.
Application
Design takeaway
Shift focus from solely recycling to prioritizing product design for longevity and establishing systems that enable widespread reuse of fashion items.
How to apply
When planning product end-of-life strategies, conduct a stakeholder analysis to understand priorities and use MCDA to compare options, emphasizing reuse and repairability in product design.
Project actions
- 01When designing a product, think about how it can be reused or repaired after its initial use.
- 02Research existing take-back or resale programs for similar products to understand best practices.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Involves diverse stakeholder groups, providing a comprehensive perspective.
- +Utilizes a robust analytical method (MCDA) for comparing complex options.
Limitations
The study's findings are based on expert opinions and may not fully reflect consumer behavior or the practical challenges of implementing these strategies at scale.
Reliability & validity
The use of MCDA with multiple stakeholder groups enhances the validity of the findings by triangulating different perspectives. Reliability would depend on the consistency of the weighting process across participants.
Think critically
How might the perceived importance of 'sustainable policy considerations' influence the actual implementation and success of reuse and recycling strategies in different regulatory environments?
Design Principles
"Design for Disassembly and Durability to Maximize Product Lifespan and Facilitate Reuse."
This research provides a data-driven framework for designers and businesses to prioritize their sustainability efforts. By understanding the relative effectiveness of different end-of-life options, companies can allocate resources more efficiently towards strategies that yield the greatest environmental and policy benefits.
What This Means for Your Design
Experts think reusing old clothes is better than recycling them, and much better than throwing them away. They care most about policies that help reuse and recycling.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify prioritizing a reuse or repair-focused design approach over a recycling-focused one in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research indicates that for fashion products, reuse is the most effective end-of-life strategy, followed by mechanical and chemical recycling, with landfill disposal being the least desirable option. Stakeholders prioritize policy considerations, highlighting the need for systemic support for reuse and recycling initiatives.
Source
Business Strategy and the Environment
Advancing Business Strategy in End‐Of‐Life Management for the Fashion Industry
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about prioritizing reuse over recycling for fashion's end-of-life strategy?
- Shift focus from solely recycling to prioritizing product design for longevity and establishing systems that enable widespread reuse of fashion items. Evidence: Business Strategy and the Environment (2025).
- Why does "Prioritizing Reuse Over Recycling for Fashion's End-of-Life Strategy" matter for design?
- This research provides a data-driven framework for designers and businesses to prioritize their sustainability efforts. By understanding the relative effectiveness of different end-of-life options, companies can allocate resources more efficiently towards strategies that yield the greatest environmental and policy benefits.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Shift focus from solely recycling to prioritizing product design for longevity and establishing systems that enable widespread reuse of fashion items.
- What were the main findings?
- Sustainable policy considerations were weighted more heavily than economic and environmental factors.. Technological and social aspects received relatively lower weighting.. Reuse emerged as the most beneficial end-of-life strategy.. Mechanical recycling and chemical recycling were ranked second and third, respectively.
- What research method was used?
- Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA).
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Business Strategy and the Environment.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When planning product end-of-life strategies, conduct a stakeholder analysis to understand priorities and use MCDA to compare options, emphasizing reuse and repairability in product design.
- What are the limitations?
- The weighting of criteria might vary across different geographical regions or specific market segments within the fashion industry. The study did not deeply explore the logistical complexities or consumer adoption rates for each strategy.