Impact of the textile industry on the environment

U ovome radu istražen je utjecaj tekstilne industrije na okoliš s aspekta kupovnih preferencija kupaca prema proizvodima tekstilne industrije. Navedene su razlike između prirodnih, sintetičkih i recikliranih materijala, budući svaka kategorija materijala ima specifičan utjecaj na okoliš. Second hand dućani, recikliranje te inovacije u proizvodnji i marketing u radu su predstavljeni kao ključni čimbenici za smanjenje negativnoga utjecaja tekstilne industrije na okoliš. Također, predstavljeni su i analizirani rezultati anketnog istraživanja koje je provedeno u svrhu pisanja ovog rada. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 121 ispitanika s prebivalištem na području Republike Hrvatske. Anketom je utvrđeno kako ispitanici i dalje veliku prednost daju tekstilu prirodnog sastava, kvaliteti i dizajnu. Nasuprot tome ispitanici nisu iskazali značajnu upoznatost s regulatornim okvirima koji mogu utjecati na tradicionalne navike kupaca. Također, ispitanici su kroz anketu iskazali potrebu da se kroz sredstva informiranja pojača svijest o štetnosti tekstilne industrije na okoliš.In this paper, importance is given not only to the influence of the textile industry on the environment and buyers’ preferences but also to issues of sustainable development. The differences between natural, synthetic, and recycled materials are explained because each of them impacts the environment differently. Furthermore, secondhand stores and recycling processes are presented as advantages, while the innovations in production, materials, and marketing are presented as guidelines that will affect the reduction of the negative impact of the textile industry on the environment. Based on the above, a survey was conducted. The survey has been taken by 121 respondents with residences in the Republic of Croatia. The survey found that respondents still give great preference to textiles with natural composition, quality, and design. In contrast, the respondents did not show much familiarity with the regulatory framework, which could affect the current habits of customers through further changes. Finally, the respondents expressed the need to increase awareness of the textile industry's impact on the environment with the help of means of information