LAUSR

Abstract The textile industry has one of the highest levels of employment around the world, but this is considered one of the most polluting activities. Researchers are therefore constantly looking for solutions and innovations that can mitigate the negative environmental impacts arising from this sector. This article provides an analytical literature review based on searches carried out in four databases, for the period of 2015–2020, focusing on concepts about sustainability and new sustainable materials used for the production of textiles. In the section “3. Concepts of sustainability and the new possibilities of materials for textiles”, the concepts for a more sustainable sector such as upcycling and the possibilities of new materials through the use of microorganisms and investment in smart textiles are discussed through the researched literature. Reinforcing in this way, how these analyzed contents can contribute to the future of the textile industry. A total of 75 research articles were found, published in 40 journals, which were grouped by subject: “Upcycling”, “Living Organisms and Biotechnology” and “Smart Textiles”, noting that the highest occurrence of articles related to the themes came from the United Kingdom and China, mainly in the period of 2019. Finally, the concepts and materials found and their coherence with the sustainable development goals established by the United Nations in the 2030 Agenda were analyzed.