A Methodological Framework to Assess the Sustainability Performance of the Textile Industry: SATIN (Sustainability Assessment of Textile Industry) supporting the transition to sustainable production patterns

Industrial sustainability compliance is under scrutiny in public debates. This has increased the pressure to improve performance that, in turn, demands systematic changes in operations and the allocation of considerable resources. Company size is decisive in determining the changes required to become more sustainable. 90% of industries are SMEs. This presents constraints, such as a lack of information, limited resources and insufficient strategies to support the transition towards sustainable production. The textile industry is no exception; it occupies a prominent place for its importance in the world economy. Its impacts range widely and are associated with the high consumption of natural resources and considerable wastes generated. These are compounded by the severe social problems associated with poor working conditions.

These reasons, aligned with the global call to achieve the SDGs, mean this research set out to support textile manufacturing enterprises, particularly SMEs, to adopt more sustainable production methods by developing a methodology to assess sustainability performance.

The methodology developed in this research, SATIN (Sustainability Assessment of Textile Industry), starts by diagnosing a company's sustainable performance and helps evaluate the current level of integration of good practices. It allows for identifying gaps and opportunities to generate continuous improvement strategies autonomously.

SATIN aims to guide textile companies in integrating sustainability schemes into their organisational culture. This helps create interconnection and balance environmental, social, economic and business management aspects. This is achieved through key indicators and systematic data collection to support the decision-making processes. SATIN was designed to bridge the gaps between theory and practice in sustainability by plugging the gaps with suitable strategies offered by free access tools that support the learning process.

The main contribution of this research is the development of a methodology that evaluates sustainability performance by integrating learning methodologies to encourage self-reflection and training. Likewise, it provides a scientifically robust tool for operational sustainability by developing tailor-made strategies based on systematic measurement and data analysis. SATIN facilitates standardisation, contributes to reducing impacts and promotes sustainable production holistically. Besides, it encourages stakeholders' inclusion, transparency and traceability through the supply chain.

This research emphasises the need to measure the textile industry's sustainability performance by systematically collecting data to compare progress. It highlights the need to develop strategies or roadmaps to guide companies in integrating sustainability outcomes into their schemes.