Abstract

The fashion industry faces growing pressure to demonstrate credible sustainability performance across environmental, social and economic dimensions, yet integrated approaches remain underdeveloped, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises and social enterprises operating in circular textile systems. This article examines the case of INS3RTEGA, a Spanish textile social enterprise that combines post-consumer textile waste management with protected employment for people with disabilities. Using an exploratory single-case design informed by Triple Bottom Line thinking, the study develops a pragmatic assessment strategy that combines a partial Social Return on Investment (SROI)-style calculation, a simplified carbon-based estimation informed by life cycle thinking, and a set of non-monetised social inclusion and employment indicators. The results reveal a distinctive configuration of integrated sustainability performance: substantial avoided climate-related burden and high textile recovery rates, strong structural inclusion outcomes through disability-inclusive employment, and a modest partial monetised return under conservative and incomplete valuation assumptions. The case illustrates how socially inclusive circular fashion models may generate meaningful sustainability value that remains only partially visible through conventional financial or fully monetised metrics. The article discusses methodological implications for hybrid impact assessment in resource-constrained organisations and policy implications for the emerging European framework on sustainable and circular textiles.

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