Towards Sustainability in Silk Manufacturing: Environmental Impact Assessment of the Eurasian Value Chain

This study presents a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of silk manufacturing across the Eurasian value chain, covering yarn-dyed, open-width, and printed fabrics. Based on foreground data collected from Chinese companies and thirteen Italian manufacturers in the Como silk district, the analysis was performed in OpenLCA using CML 2001, ReCiPe Endpoint and Midpoint, and USEtox, with background data from Ecoinvent v3.8. The study compares dry and fresh cocoon use in silk reeling and examines the environmental profiles of the three fabric routes. Results show that cocoon reeling is the main environmental hotspot, while yarn-dyeing, fabric dyeing, and printing also contribute significantly, especially through water and chemical consumption. The comparison highlights both common patterns and route-specific differences. The findings provide a baseline for environmental improvement in silk manufacturing and support future harmonization efforts in environmental labelling, certification, and PCR-aligned assessment.