Project Overview
The JUSTICE Project is a four-year, interdisciplinary research initiative funded under the EPA Research Programme 2030. The project examines how resource recovery can be scaled in Ireland’s food and fashion sectors while ensuring that the transition toward a circular economy is fair, inclusive, and socially just.
Ireland currently has one of the lowest circular material use rates in Europe. Food waste contributes approximately 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while more than 92 million tonnes of textiles are wasted annually worldwide. At the same time, food and fashion sectors often rely on vulnerable and precarious labour.
The JUSTICE Project addresses these interconnected environmental and social challenges by developing evidence-based recommendations that support sustainable practices without reinforcing inequality or exclusion.
Project Objectives
Support the scaling of resource recovery in Ireland’s food and fashion sectors.
Reduce environmental impacts associated with food and textile waste.
Examine labour conditions and social implications within circular economy transitions.
Promote just transition principles that protect workers and communities.
Co-develop policy and practice recommendations with key stakeholders.
Inform national and sectoral strategies for a fair circular economy.
Why Food and Fashion?
Food Systems
Food waste remains a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, economic loss, and social inequality. The project explores how surplus food prevention, redistribution, and recovery can be expanded in ways that are both environmentally effective and socially responsible.
Fashion & Textiles
The fashion industry generates vast amounts of waste and environmental pollution. The JUSTICE Project investigates reuse, repair, recycling, and alternative business models, while examining the labour implications embedded in textile production and recovery systems.
The Justice Project Team
The JUSTICE Project is delivered by an interdisciplinary team of researchers across leading Irish universities.
Core Members
Dr. Enrico Secchi
Asst. Prof. of Supply Chain Management
University College Dublin
Principal Investigator – JUSTICE Project
Dr. Orlagh Reynolds
Lecturer in Sustainable Development
University College Cork
Prof. Donna Marshall
Professor of Sustainable Supply Chains
University College Dublin
Dr. Aideen O’Dochartaigh
Assistant Professor in Accounting
Dublin City University Business School
Prof. Colm McLaughlin
Professor of Employment Relations
University College Dublin
Other Members
Kanishka Mendhekar
The Justice Project
Hasmik Grigoryan
The Justice Project
Darya Kuts
The Justice Project
Research Approach & Methodology
Quantitative mapping of resource flows and waste streams.
Qualitative interviews with workers, organisations & policymakers.
In-depth case studies across food and fashion sectors.
Participatory workshops and stakeholder engagement.
Policy analysis and co-creation of actionable recommendations.
Collaboration & Engagement
The JUSTICE Project works closely with stakeholders across government, industry, civil society, and community organisations. Collaboration is central to ensuring that research outputs are grounded in real-world needs and can support meaningful, equitable change.
We welcome engagement from organisations and individuals working in:
Circular Economy & Sustainability
Food Systems & Waste Reduction
Fashion, Textiles & Labor Rights
Social Justice & Inclusive Transitions
Funding & Acknowledgement
The JUSTICE Project is funded under the EPA Research Programme 2030.
The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Environmental Protection Agency.