Consumers' textile disposal practices and their perceived value in the circular economy: A platform focused ethnography approach

This study builds on the Circular Economy paradigm which recognises consumers as key stakeholders in extending textiles' lifespan. The paper unfolds how consumers engage in the textile disposal practices of reuse, repair, donate and resell. In doing so, consumers create a value-in-disposition, here conceptualised as the enhanced value that consumers generate through the process of transforming depleted textiles into new meaningful ones. This research adopts a multimethod platform focused ethnog- raphy that combines textual, visual and audio data, generated in the domestic envi- ronment, which facilitates contextual and situational insights. The findings highlight that value-in-disposition goes far beyond the utilitarian aspects (e.g. economic or func- tional) and includes social, aesthetic, emotional and moral value dimensions, which contribute in building an overarching environmental value. The study shows that con- sumer disposal practices not only reduce waste but also favour consumer empower- ment through the transformation of unused/depleted resources into new value. Finally, the article provides specific managerial insights on the design of textile prod- ucts and services to encourage consumer engagement in reuse, repair, donation, and resell practices, supporting companies in the Circular Economy uptake.