Assessing Triple Bottom Line Sustainability of Cotton Clothing Manufacturing – Advancing an Input-Output Production Analysis Methodology

Zhou, Mia

Assessing Triple Bottom Line Sustainability of Cotton Clothing Manufacturing – Advancing an Input-Output Production Analysis Methodology

Zhou, Mia

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2024

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Zhou, Mia
dc.date.accessioned	2025-07-03T04:31:44Z
dc.date.available	2025-07-03T04:31:44Z
dc.date.issued	2024
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/188072
dc.description	University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.description.abstract	The fashion industry is facing significant environmental and social challenges, making sustainability a complex issue in the real world. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) indicates that the production stage represents approximately 80% of the environmental impact of the industry; however, efforts for improvements from both academia and industry have focused on areas outside of production. While professionals recognize opportunities to enhance sustainability through improved practices, a limited comprehension of these practices and a lack of methodologies - highlighting literature gaps - constitutes a significant obstacle. This study focuses on developing an Input-Output Production Analysis Methodology (IOPAM) designed to provide robust data that supports informed decision-making on enhancing production practices. Although the IOPAM is in progress, its ongoing refinement currently yield three key outcomes that benefit both industry and academia, including bridging existing gaps in the literature. The first outcome involves achieving a crucial research objective by establishing a Production Input-Output Data Framework (PIODF) that streamlines data collection within the industry. The second outcome is the generation of practical insights related to cotton clothing production, which includes 28 Production Input-Output Flowcharts (PIOFs) mapping as many as 100 processes. These flowcharts illustrate how materials, machines, and labour contribute to products, along with their corresponding discharges. The third outcome, based on a theoretical case study of Australian cotton's global production impact, highlights data showing a substantial economic growth opportunity for the Australian cotton industry.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.format	Thesis (MDesign)
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US.UTF-8
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/188072/1/thesis.pdf
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	© 2024 Mia Zhou
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/cph
dc.title	Assessing Triple Bottom Line Sustainability of Cotton Clothing Manufacturing – Advancing an Input-Output Production Analysis Methodology	en_US.UTF-8
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*

Abstract:

The fashion industry is facing significant environmental and social challenges, making sustainability a complex issue in the real world. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) indicates that the production stage represents approximately 80% of the environmental impact of the industry; however, efforts for improvements from both academia and industry have focused on areas outside of production. While professionals recognize opportunities to enhance sustainability through improved practices, a limited comprehension of these practices and a lack of methodologies - highlighting literature gaps - constitutes a significant obstacle. This study focuses on developing an Input-Output Production Analysis Methodology (IOPAM) designed to provide robust data that supports informed decision-making on enhancing production practices. Although the IOPAM is in progress, its ongoing refinement currently yield three key outcomes that benefit both industry and academia, including bridging existing gaps in the literature. The first outcome involves achieving a crucial research objective by establishing a Production Input-Output Data Framework (PIODF) that streamlines data collection within the industry. The second outcome is the generation of practical insights related to cotton clothing production, which includes 28 Production Input-Output Flowcharts (PIOFs) mapping as many as 100 processes. These flowcharts illustrate how materials, machines, and labour contribute to products, along with their corresponding discharges. The third outcome, based on a theoretical case study of Australian cotton's global production impact, highlights data showing a substantial economic growth opportunity for the Australian cotton industry.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/188072