The present article analyses the theme of circularity in the fashion industry, with particular attention to the role of technology in favoring the adoption of circular economic models. The article explores the role of technology in supporting the circular economy in the fashion industry, focusing on the implementation of circular business models by three companies: SHEIN, Ralph Lauren, and Cotopaxi. The aim is to investigate the challenges and opportunities associated with the adoption of circular economy practices in an industry known for its environmental impact. The research highlights how technology, particularly software such as Materia MX, can facilitate streamlined supply chains, reduced waste, and optimized resource efficiency, thus, overcoming obstacles such as high investment costs and supply chain complexities. The case studies demonstrate how each company has integrated circular practices, such as recycling, reusing materials, and improving transparency through technologies such as AI, blockchain, and IoT, to promote sustainability. Thus, the study emphasizes the importance of technological innovation in enabling a more sustainable and circular future for the fashion industry while addressing challenges related to consumer awareness, regulatory pressures, and infrastructure. The results suggest that technology is a key factor in the fashion industry’s transition to a circular economy, offering a competitive advantage and facilitating the achievement of environmental objectives.

Purpose: This study aims to examine how university students’ eating habits are formed and negotiated at the intersection of health perceptions, sustainability concerns, cultural values, and structural constraints. It seeks to identify the main factors influencing students’ food choices, the role of health and environmental considerations, and the presence of intercultural differences in consumption patterns. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative, inductive research design, using semi-structured interviews with 14 university students aged 18–26 from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds across seven countries. Data were analysed using the Gioia methodology, enabling the development of first-order concepts, second-order themes, and aggregate dimensions to build a conceptual model of eating habit formation. Findings: The findings show that students’ food choices are not driven by isolated individual preferences but emerge from dynamic interactions between structural determinants (e.g. affordability, availability, time constraints), culturally embedded food values, and selective engagement with health and environmental responsibility. While participants demonstrate growing awareness of healthy and sustainable eating, economic constraints, information asymmetries, and social dynamics often limit the translation of values into practice. Environmental concerns are widely acknowledged but inconsistently enacted, partly due to scepticism toward sustainability labels and greenwashing. Significant intercultural differences were observed in food norms, priorities, and constraints. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by proposing an integrative model that explains how university students’ eating habits are shaped through the interaction of structural conditions and cultural values, moderated by selective engagement with health and sustainability. By moving beyond attitude–behaviour explanations, the paper offers a nuanced understanding of young consumers as active agents navigating competing constraints and provides relevant insights for policy, education, and institutional food strategies.

The integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into corporate and financial decision-making has become one of the most significant transformations in today’s financial markets. Growing regulatory pressure, stakeholder expectations and increased awareness of sustainability challenges have led companies and investors to incorporate ESG considerations into strategic and investment decisions. Despite the rapid spread of ESG practices, the academic literature presents conflicting and sometimes contradictory evidence regarding their economic implications and practical effectiveness. This article provides a review of the literature on the main academic contributions to ESG integration, focusing on three key dimensions: the economic benefits associated with ESG practices, the methodological and credibility challenges relating to ESG measurement, and the organisational and technological factors that enable effective ESG implementation. The findings indicate that ESG integration is generally associated with positive organisational outcomes, including improved financial performance, lower cost of capital, greater stakeholder trust and a reduction in firm-specific risk. However, the realisation of these benefits is not automatic and depends to a large extent on the credibility of ESG practices and information. Rather than endorsing the widely held view that ESG criteria are inherently capable of creating value, the analysis shows that the value-creating effect of ESG criteria depends crucially on the credibility of ESG practices and the quality of their implementation. The literature highlights significant methodological challenges, including rating divergence, the lack of standardised metrics, methodological opacity and the growing risk of greenwashing, which can undermine the reliability of ESG information. This paper proposes an deductive conceptual framework in which ESG effectiveness emerges from the interaction between value creation mechanisms, credibility constraints, and enabling organisational and technological factors.