Comparison of Attitudes in Slovenia and Serbia Towards Circular Economy in Textile Industry

Abstract

Research Question: The study explores differences in the attitudes of youngsters in Slovenia and Serbia towards the sustainable use of clothing. Motivation: The concept of circular economy has received the attention of the world public in recent years. The prosperity of economies and companies is manifested by the safe and efficient use of resources. The circular economy should also be introduced in the textile industry, as waste continues to accumulate year after year. After the oil industry, the textile industry is the second largest polluter of the environment. We will describe the purchase and disposal of textile products and the development of the circular economy concept. Idea: The idea of this paper was to find out how people in Slovenia and Serbia treat clothes, especially waste from clothes, and what their perception towards reusing old clothes redesigned by an app is. Data: The research was conducted in two separate surveys. One was conducted among respondents in Slovenia on the sample that counts 66 people, mostly youngsters, and the same survey was conducted later, on the respondents from Serbia, on the same sample of 66 youngsters. Tools: SPSS was used to apply descriptive statistics techniques on the samples. Findings: The results of the survey show differences in perception between Slovenian and Serbian youngsters towards sustainable use of clothing. There are differences in how they are equipped with knowledge about the circular economy. In the two countries they have different main reasons for buying clothes and throwing away old clothes, but they agree that they should contribute to the reduction of waste generation in similar ways. Contribution: This research contributes to better understanding of perception that people have in Slovenia and Serbia towards a sustainable use of clothing and the circular economy concept.