## 3 Materials and Methods
### Phase#2: Survey
#### 3.2.3 Step#2.3: Design the Survey  
The procedure for constructing the questionnaire was structured in several phases to ensure the validity and reliability of the data collected. Following the Document Review, a preliminary list of questions was drafted. The focus of the questions was on understanding the sustainability practices and circular economy strategies implemented by textile companies. The questions were designed to assess how companies address key sustainability aspects, such as the use of sustainable materials, recycling efforts, waste management, and adherence to environmental regulations. This phase aimed to create a comprehensive overview of the sustainability efforts within the sector. To ensure the appropriateness and clarity of the questions, the preliminary list was submitted to a panel of experts. This group consisted of academics and researchers with expertise in sustainability within the textile sector. The experts evaluated the relevance of the questions in relation to the research objectives and assessed their clarity and comprehensibility. Based on their feedback, several questions were revised, removed, or added to improve the overall quality and focus of the questionnaire. This rigorous procedure allowed us to develop a well-structured questionnaire capable of gathering accurate and relevant data, essential for analyzing sustainability practices in the Italian textile sector. The survey consists of 18 closed-ended questions, including multiple choice and yes/no answers, as shown in Appendix A. This question format was chosen to ensure \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l} \hline \hline
**Region** & **Total** \\ \hline Campania & 537 \\ Emilia-Romagna & 630 \\ Lombardia & 1787 \\ Marche & 579 \\ Puglia & 361 \\ Toscana & 1253 \\ Veneto & 1032 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 9: Database companies by geographical origin. uniform data, making it easier to analyze, compare, and interpret. Closed answers, in fact, allow for more efficient management of the information collected, as they simplify the coding and analysis process. Furthermore, they are more streamlined both for respondents, who can answer quickly, and for researchers, who benefit from a faster and more precise data analysis, facilitating comparison between responses [31]. The survey was designed with a modular structure and organized into two main sections:  
* Section#1. General information. The first part of the questionnaire, which goes from questions 1 to 11, collects general information, mainly about the company and its employees. These questions aim to provide a basic picture of the structure and context in which the company operates. * Section#2. Sustainability and circularity. The second part, from questions 12 to 18, focuses on the issues of sustainability and circularity, exploring corporate practices in these areas and the degree of awareness and implementation of sustainable strategies within the organization. The selection of each question in the survey was carefully designed to assess the sustainability practices and circular economy strategies adopted by companies in the textile sector. Table 10 shows the rationale for the questions choices: