Fast Fashion’s Waste Crisis: A Systematic and Bibliometric Review of Global Evidence (2015–2025)

Abstract

Background: The rising prominence of the fast fashion business model has generated significant concerns regarding textile industry waste and the availability of mitigation strategies. Analysing the consumption patterns driven by fast fashion is essential to determining their long-term environmental impacts.

Objective: This study aims to synthesise existing research on fast fashion, textile waste, and sustainability to identify the principal areas of academic inquiry and research trends over the last decade.

Methodology: The research analysed 124 articles indexed in Scopus between 2015 and 2025. Following the PRISMA protocol, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to determine publication trends, key authors, and dominant thematic clusters within the identified literature.

Results: Three primary research domains were identified: 1) consumer behaviours, motivations, and psychological drivers; 2) environmental impacts of fast fashion; and 3) circular economy principles and sustainable consumption strategies, including industrial interventions.

Unique Contribution: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the fast fashion and textile waste literature, filling an existing gap by establishing a wide-ranging research agenda that bridges the divide between consumer psychology and waste management.

Conclusion: While sustainable fashion is an accelerating research field, a significant gap remains between theoretical research and the practical application of sustainable consumption and waste disposal models in the fast fashion sector.

Key Recommendation: Future research should explore the interconnectedness of consumer purchasing habits, textile disposal behaviours, and the efficiency of existing waste management infrastructures to foster a truly circular economy.