Ecological civilisation and circular economy in Chinese textile industry

Incorporated into the Chinese Constitution in 2018, ecological civilisation has become a cornerstone of China’s vision for the Chinese Dream in the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. At its heart lies the pursuit of harmony between men and nature. Stemming from Confucian, Marxist and Daoist values, ecological civilisation has become a pillar in political discourse for addressing the dual challenges of environmental degradation and economic development. Within this framework, circular economy emerges as a practical and transformative tool to foster the cultural and societal shifts necessary to achieve ecological civilisation. Through recycling, closed-loop manufacturing, innovative waste management, and fostering consumer awareness, circular economy operationalises the principles of ecological civilisation. This thesis explores how these principles are implemented through China’s legal and policy frameworks, with a focus on the textile industry. As the world’s leading producer and exporter of textiles, this sector represents a significant contributor to China’s economy but also ranks among its most polluting industries. By examining the pathways, opportunities, and challenges of integrating circular economy practices into the textile industry, this thesis sheds light on how the country is striving to build a more sustainable and ecologically civilised society. Structured in four chapters, the thesis aims to critically investigate the role of circular economy practices within the legal and regulatory framework of China’s textile industry, for creating a Beautiful China, in other words an ecologically civilised society. The first chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the concept of ecological civilisation, as well as its increasing role in political discourse in the People’s Republic of China. It also presents the academic framework of circular economy, examining its evolution internationally before narrowing the focus to China. The second chapter delves into the major laws and policies underpinning circular economy initiatives in China, namely being the Cleaner Production Promotion Law and the Circular Economy Promotion Law. The analysis is then extended to the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th Five-Year Plans for Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China, presenting how they embed circular economy goals into national development strategies. The third chapter, the core of this thesis, further deepens the analysis conducted in the aforementioned chapter with regard to the textile industry. Firstly, key facts and figures and its role in environmental degradation are presented. Secondly, the Circular Economy Promotion Law is inspected in detail, underlining circular economy practices implemented in the sector for each inherent article of the law. Furthermore, the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Textile Industry is scrutinised, which positions circular economy strategies as vital to strengthening the sector domestically and addressing global climate challenges. The fourth chapter evaluates the opportunities and challenges for advancing circular economy practices in the textile industry, as well as underlining the limits of current models and regulations. These include stricter policy enforcement, greater investment in R&D, heightened awareness of circular economy approaches in production and consumption, improved data reliability, and enhanced incentives to encourage adoption.