Resíduos têxteis e políticas públicas: os desafios para a implementação do upcycling na cidade de Fortaleza/CE

Abstract

Industrial modernity, with its mass production, has, since its inception, provoked major structural changes in cities, bringing about alterations in social and economic relations. Industrial production is an instrument for the consolidation of capitalism. Industrialization has accentuated the emission of toxic gases due to the burning of fossil fuels, and the disposal of waste, especially solid waste, which has become a global environmental problem, causing climate change. In Brazil, when addressing the management and proper disposal of waste, although this should be a commitment of the entire society, the burden falls on the federative entities, notably the municipal governments. Among industrial waste, textiles constitute an additional problem, as there are few actions for the reuse of these materials. Thus, this research started from the challenge of finding practical solutions and public policies that address the problem of textile waste. Therefore, the work pointed to the upcycling technique as a sustainable alternative, insofar as it gives new meaning to waste in another product, with greater added value and using all the material that would otherwise be discarded. Therefore, this research aimed to understand the main challenges, obstacles, and perspectives of implementing upcycling in the public sector as a possibility for the socio-environmental sustainability of the fashion sector in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. To achieve its purpose, a qualitative study was conducted using the methodological approach of depth hermeneutics, supported by discourse analysis, since, when dialoguing with the various interlocutors involved with the upcycling technique, one was dealing with a field pre-interpreted by social subjects. Ethnographic experiences also made it possible to transform what was seen and heard into writing. In conclusion, it was observed that public entities, although exhibiting a discourse of environmental sustainability, present actions that encourage traditional industrial practices, as there is a predominance of the economic order based on wealth generation, even without social justice.