Skip to main content
Article | Industrial and Domestic Waste Management | Volume 6 - Issue 2 - 2026 | 340−354 | https://doi.org/10.53623/idwm.v6i2.1313
© 2026 by the author(s), and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License

Textile Waste Reduction through Zero-Waste Cutting Subtraction Techniques: A Fit-to-Body Couture Approach for Sustainable Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Indonesia

Author(s): Rizka Sarah Heydarina Fathima Ahsan ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1051-0809 , Agus Sunandar , Ajeng Atma Kusuma , Nuha Nadhifa , Galih Janggan Titian
Author(s) information:
Applied Bachelor of Fashion Design, Faculty of Vocational, State University of Malang, Malang, East Java, Indonesia

Corresponding author

Industrial and Domestic Waste Management

Volume 6 - Issue 2 - 2026

 About the journal
Submit your article

The production of custom-made couture by Indonesian fashion MSMEs generated significant textile waste because fit-to-body construction required patterns that precisely followed the contours of the body, while conventional cutting techniques did not efficiently accommodate this requirement. Existing zero-waste and subtraction cutting techniques had primarily been applied to loose-fitting and ready-to-wear silhouettes, with limited application to fit-to-body couture. This study developed and validated a modified subtraction cutting technique designed to produce fit-to-body couture dresses while maintaining fabric waste below 5%. An exploratory experimental method was employed using a Research through Design (RtD) approach and iterative prototyping. The research process included baseline waste assessment, pattern engineering, controlled comparative testing against conventional patterns using identical amounts of fabric, and aesthetic and fit validation by an expert panel. The results showed that the selected subtraction cutting prototype successfully reduced fabric waste from 7.64% for the conventional baseline to 4.65%, representing a relative reduction of 39.14%. The prototype also achieved a “Good” rating (74.4%) in expert validation based on aesthetic and fit-to-body criteria. The final garments were subsequently produced using patchwork materials obtained from partner MSMEs, demonstrating the practical potential for utilizing textile waste. Expert feedback identified improvement of the drapery as the primary priority for final design refinement. Overall, this study demonstrated an applicable pattern-engineering approach and provided empirical evidence that fit-to-body couture could be aligned with textile waste reduction objectives in sustainable fashion production.

Read Full-Text
Previous article
Next article

Liauw, F. (2023). Limbah perca sebagai penggerak inspirasi industri fashion masa depan. Jurnal Sains, Teknologi, Urban, Perancangan, Arsitektur, 5, 1347–1358. https://doi.org/10.24912/stupa.v5i2.24283.

Gadi, A.C.Z. (2023). Penerapan teknik zero waste pattern dan pola konstruksi untuk busana ready to wear. Jurnal Muara Ilmu Sosial, Humaniora, dan Seni, 6, 741–749. https://doi.org/10.24912/jmishumsen.v6i3.18207.2022.

Kimbarlina, V.; Enrico, E. (2023). Produk fashion dari limbah untuk mendukung kegiatan sustainable fashion. Fólio, 2. https://doi.org/10.37715/folio.v2i2.3478.

ElShishtawy, N.; Sinha, P.; Bennell, J.A. (2022). A comparative review of zero-waste fashion design thinking and operational research on cutting and packing optimisation. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 15, 187–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2021.1990416.

Carrico, M.; Dragoo, S.L.; McKinney, E.; Stannard, C.; Moretz, C.; Rougeaux-Burnes, A. (2022). An Inquiry into Gradable Zero-Waste Apparel Design. Sustainability, 14, 452. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010452.

Nursari, F.; Simamora, R.M.; Arumsari, A. (2024). Zero-Waste Kebaya Design: Integrating the 'FRANGIPANI' Method to Enhance Sustainability and Utilize Leftover Lace. Panggung, 34. https://doi.org/10.26742/panggung.v34i3.3211.

Zdonek, I.; Podgórska, M.; Hysa, B. (2025). The Sustainable Fashion Value Proposition of Companies Identifying with the Zero Waste Movement. Sustainability, 17, 887. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030887.

Enes, E.; Kipöz, Ş. (2020). The role of fabric usage for minimization of cut-and-sew waste within the apparel production line: Case of a summer dress. Journal of Cleaner Production, 248, 119221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119221.

Sztankovics, I. (2025). Design and Realization of a Cutting Force Measuring System to Analyze the Chip Removal Process in Rotational Turning. Metrology, 5, 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/metrology5010005.

Dewi, V.K. (2022). Penerapan zero waste fashion pada busana demi couture dengan teknik sashiko. Moda Fashion Journal, 4, 22–38. https://doi.org/10.37715/moda.v4i1.2199.

Devetak, T.; Pavko Čuden, A. (2025). Sustainable Fashion in Slovenia: Circular Economy Strategies, Design Processes, and Regional Innovation. Sustainability, 17, 8890. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17198890.

Ruuska, A.; Häkkinen, T. (2014). Material Efficiency of Building Construction. Buildings, 4, 266-294. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings4030266.

Afifah, S. (2025). Peningkatan Desain Promosi UMKM melalui Pelatihan Penggunaan Canva untuk Iklan Produk. Progresif, 5, 125–136.

Indriani, R.A.R.F.; Marsinah, M.; Hanadya, D.; Auliana, N.U.; Purwanto, M.B. (2024). Perjalanan Songket: Transformasi Menghidupkan UMKM Di Kota Palembang. Cakrawala: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Global, 3, 209–216. https://doi.org/10.30640/cakrawala.v3i2.2643.

Liu, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Quan, X.; Zhang, J.; Zhao, H.; Chen, S. (2011). Effects of an Electric Field and Zero Valent Iron on Anaerobic Treatment of Azo Dye Wastewater and Microbial Community Structures. Bioresource Technology, 102, 2578–2584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2010.11.109.

Jin, P.; Fan, J.; Zheng, R.; Chen, Q.; Liu, L.; Jiang, R.; Zhang, H. (2023). Design and Research of Automatic Garment-Pattern-Generation System Based on Parameterized Design. Sustainability, 15, 1268. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021268.

Dey, E.K.; Tawhid, M.N.A.; Shoyaib, M. (2015). An Automated System for Garment Texture Design Class Identification. Computers, 4, 265-282. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers4030265.

Ueda, K. (2026). From Craft to Code and Back: Biodegradable Polyester, Institutional Co-Design, and Garment Practice in Nishijin Weaving. Arts, 15, 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts15020034.

Pedgley, O. (2025). Considerations for Planning, Conducting, and Disseminating Research Through Design (RTD). Designing, 1, 47–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/30497671251392169.

Sjolund, K.; Murphy, A.R.; Linsey, J. (2025). Evaluation of Self-Directed Usage of Parallel and Iterative Prototyping Strategies by First-Year Engineering Students. Proceedings of the Design Society, 5, 1595–1604. https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2025.10173.

Ahsan, R.S.H.F.; Hidayati, N.; Maulana, J.; Kusuma, A.A.; Prastika, J.H.; Mulyawan, N.R. (2025). Pelatihan Digital Art Untuk Merancang Koleksi UMKM Fashion di Kota Malang. I-Com: Indonesian Community Journal, 5, 1211–1221. https://doi.org/10.70609/i-com.v5i3.7686.

Kusuma, A.A. et al. (2025). Transformasi desain fesyen virtual 3d dengan teknologi artificial intelligence luma. JIPI: Jurnal Ilmiah Penelitian dan Pembelajaran Informatika, 10, 2700–2713.

Maksimov, S.; Jordeva, S.; Zhezhova, S.; Mojsov, K.; Janevski, A. (2022). Methodology for determining the quantity of textile waste from the cutting process. Tekstilna Industrija, 70, 29–36. https://doi.org/10.5937/tekstind2201029m.

Young-seon, L. (2017). Development of zero-waste fashion design using subtraction cutting method - focused on cotton jersey. Journal of the Korean Society of Fashion Design, 17, 21–35. https://doi.org/10.18652/2017.17.2.2.

Sovitriana, R.; Budilaksono, S.; Dewi, E.P.; Trisnawati, N.; Nurina, N.; Nasution, E.S. (2024). Pelatihan Perilaku Digital Marketing Ibu-Ibu UMKM Produk Ikan Laut Dan Olahan Krupuk Di Pantai Carita Kabupaten Pandeglang Banten. Jurpikat (Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat), 5, 220–228. https://doi.org/10.37339/jurpikat.v5i1.1353.

Metropolitan, S.; Bentley, T.; Piller, L.W. (2026). Designing for circularity: sustainable pathways for Australian fashion small to medium enterprises. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 27, 287–310. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-09-2021-0220.

Nagano, A. (2022). Value Propositions for Small Fashion Businesses: From Japanese Case Studies. Sustainability, 14, 3502. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063502.

Nguyen, M.H.; Islam, S.; Swee, C.; Tan, L. (2026). An examination of barriers and enablers to circular economy transition among small and medium-sized enterprises in the Vietnamese fashion and textile industry. Cleaner Production Letters, 10, 100125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clpl.2025.100125.

Liepa, I.; Atstaja, D. (2025). A Comparative Analysis of Circular Economy Index in Urban and Rural Municipalities. Urban Science, 9, 321. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9080321.

Read Full-Text
About this article

SUBMITTED: 25 July 2026
ACCEPTED: 12 August 2026
PUBLISHED: 14 August 2026
SUBMITTED to ACCEPTED: 18 days
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53623/idwm.v6i2.1313

Cite this article
Ahsan, R. S. H. F., Sunandar, A. ., Kusuma, A. A., Nadhifa, N., & Titian, G. J. (2026). Textile Waste Reduction through Zero-Waste Cutting Subtraction Techniques: A Fit-to-Body Couture Approach for Sustainable Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Indonesia. Industrial and Domestic Waste Management, 6(2), 340−354. https://doi.org/10.53623/idwm.v6i2.1313
Citations
0
Share this article