Modelling the Behavioural Side of Textile Waste Collection: From Individual Habits to Systemic Design

This paper contributes to the field of urban waste collection systems, which are crucial for advancing sustainability, urban cleanliness, and the aesthetic quality of cities. Specifically, it introduces a novel framework designed to support planners and decision makers in the design of efficient and responsive textile waste collection systems, aligned with both environmental objectives and citizen engagement. To this end, the framework exploits a hybrid simulation platform that realistically models the logistics infrastructure in a spatially explicit environment. Also, within the framework, citizens are represented as adaptive agents whose environmental attitudes evolve through personal experience, social influence, and perceived service quality. The behavioural layer is the core element of the framework. It enables dynamic analysis of the two-way feedback between citizen participation and service effectiveness to underscore the often-overlooked role of citizen behaviour in shaping overall system performance. The model was tested in a representative urban scenario under varying operational conditions. The results highlight how policy incentives and smart collection infrastructure can significantly boost participation, while social segregation may hinder the adoption of sustainable practices. The framework ultimately offers a generalisable decision-support tool to explore the behavioural dimension of circular economy initiatives and develop robust, scenario-based strategies.