Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Fashion: QR Code-Driven Pre-Consumer Waste Sorting in Garment Manufacturing

Abstract Increasing waste generation in the textile industry, particularly pre-consumer waste during garment production, poses significant environmental and economic challenges. The global textile industry produces an estimated 92–110 million tons of waste annually, with 25–40% of the fabric used in garment production becoming pre-consumer waste. This study introduces a QR code-based sorting system designed to enhance waste management practices during the garment cutting process. The system embeds QR codes with fiber-type information on waste bins, ensuring accurate waste categorization, reducing contamination, and facilitating recycling. Researchers tested the system in garment manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh, where stakeholders reported an average sorting efficiency of 94.3% and significant improvements in waste recovery processes. These results demonstrate substantial advancements in waste management practices and sustainability. The study highlights the potential of digital solutions in fostering a circular economy and proposes several avenues for further research, including testing the system in other industries such as food or electronics, scaling it for larger garment manufacturing facilities, and exploring alternative digital technologies, such as machine learning or blockchain, to optimize waste sorting and traceability.