Category Archives: Lifecycle Analysis

Fashioning an Ethical Industry launches Scottish Ethical Fashion Education Network alongside continued UK training

“Over 75% of fashion businesses think it is important for new recruits to have knowledge regarding social, environmental and ethical issues.” (FEI) 

Over the coming year Fashioning an Ethical Industry (FEI) will be working with Scottish universities and colleges to establish a network interested in teaching, learning and sharing about ethics in the fashion industry. With the support from FEI the Network will host events, develop resources and share best practice related to corporate social responsibility in the fashion industry. Find out more and join the network.

FEI student workshops will equip your graduates with information and skills in this important emerging area. Staff training sessions will give teaching staff the resources and confidence to effectively deliver the subject area. For further information and booking please see the website.

*The contents of this post was directly sourced through the FEI Bulletin*

Panel & Audience Q & A // ECO Fashion Week Vancouver

ECO Fashion Week Vancouver, September 30th, 2010 // Day three: Panel & Audience Q&A

Panel & Audience Q&A
 
Panel Members //
  • Myriam Laroche, President, ECO Fashion Week Vancouver
  • Summer Rayne Oakes, Source4Style
  • Jeff Garner, Prophetik
  • Paul Raybin, AirDye®
  • Mark Trotzuk, Boardroom Eco Apparel
  • Nicole Bridger
  • Lindsay Coulter, David Suzuki’s Queen of Green
Q&A //
Lindsey, David Suzuki Foundation

Q: Does the David Suzuki Foundation have any plans to launch a consumer awareness campaign on the impacts of the fashion industry? Similarly to the sustainable seafood initiative?

A: Not at this time, we are focusing on improving the policies of the beauty and cosmetics industry and informing consumers on the toxics and chemicals in their personal care products

Paul Raybin, Air Dye

Q: Can you tell me more about the air dyeing process and the benefits?

A: AirDye reduces water consumption by almost 95%. The conventional textile dyeing industry is a major contributor to water pollution worldwide, so Air Dye is focusing on improving this and providing the industry with a solution. They also have developed an inventory system, where they only make what is sold to reduce waste, water consumption and pollution

Mark Trotzuk, Boardroom Eco Apparel – commenting on the question

His company is a Bluesign brand member, so the manufacturing facilities adhere to the highest environmental standard for textiles in the world and are certified. Water, energy and carbon consumption is reduced.  His company works to reduce the environmental impacts at each stage of the garment life-cycle, but this is not easy. It is also expensive to have the facilities certified.

Myriam Laroche, President, Eco Fashion Week

Her biggest focus is on teaching consumers to reuse clothing and buy vintage/second-hand clothing. She has reduced her own impact by buying less, and she feels that consumers can all do their part by starting with buying one less item, or buying vintage clothing instead of new

Question from Nicole Bridger to Jeff Garner on how to inspire change in the industry

Jeff, there needs to be more awareness, he is working to inspire other designers through his own practices

Paul Raybin, Air Dye

Q: Do you have any samples of the air dye technology in use?

A: Designers can take the technology and imagine it in their own way. It is a way to reduce material use. You can take the fabric and turn it inside out, so designers can be innovative with how they use it

It is a way to reduce water consumption and pollution. With an example from China on the scope of the problem, 50% of China’s water supply is unsuitable for drinking AND 3.5 trillion gallons of water are polluted from dyeing. In conventional dying, water is used as a solvent to carry the dyes. For “Solution dyes”, the dye is injected into the fibre, to create prints, you need to weave fibres. With the air dye technology, you don’t make the fabric/product unless it is being consumed – this reduces pollution.

Q: Nicole asks Jeff about his work with natural dyes

A: Jeff Garner, Prophetik grows his own plants on his Tennessee farm. Japanese indigo is used to dye his fabric. This process is labour intensive

He has a team of two women who work specifically on the natural dyeing process. He also has a community garden where they grow the plants for the dyes

Q: How do you set the natural dyes so that they do not run and last a long time?

A: we use hemp fabric, so this absorbs the dyes well. We also use vinager to hold the dyes in place. But, each piece is unique and different because natural dying is not consistent and it is done by hand. Depending on the air temperature, and if it was dyed during winter or summer, the gradient also changes. This creates a story behind the garment that he can tell to his customers.

Q: Asked to the entire panel, do you encounter regulations and do you need to work with governments?

A: Summer Rayne Oaks, she is interested in finding local material sources and has also created a global network for fabric suppliers and designers (Source4Style). She is dealing with regulators for this initiative, because integrating the duty fees across boarders affects the prices of the materials. For example the price of organic cotton vs. silk from India is different, but they also have different duty fees. She is working with industry associations in the United States, who then liaise with governments on regulations and policies

A: Myriam Laroche, she is working with the regional government, Vancouver Economic Development Commission, they are a major supported, along with the City of Vancouver, for ECO Fashion Week.

 

Photo Credit: ECO Fashion Week

Paul Raybin presents ‘Lifecycle Assessments – Water & Textiles’ // ECO Fashion Week Vancouver

ECO Fashion Week Vancouver, September 29th, 2010 // Day two: Paul Raybin  

Paul Raybin –  Lifecycle Assessments  – Water & Textiles 
 

 
BIO //
Paul Raybin is Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of Colorep, which created the revolutionary AirDye® technology. AirDye technolgoy manages the application of color to synthetic textiles without the use of water, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional dyeing processes. The process does not pollute water, greatly reduces energy use, lowers costs, and satisfies the strictest standards of global responsibility. It is a world-changing technology for both business and consumers. Paul has over 30 years experience in the printing industry. At Colorep, Paul managed a comparative Life Cycle Assessment project to understand and document the impact of AirDye technology on the printing and coloration of textiles.  
NOTES //
–          Textile industry is the worlds 3rd largest consumer and polluter of the worlds water

  • Growing and processing, dyeing and then after sale care
  • For example, Levi Strauss did a study that found that 919 gallons of water is used per pair of jeans – ie, flusing the toilet 575 times.
    • With this, Levi is starting to cut their water use in growing, dyeing and post consumer use.

–          Traditional dye Process:

  • Water based dyeing + dye setting + hydro washing = textile + Water treatment
  • Many of the chemicals used can never be removed from the water, making it unusable industrious water.
  • It takes on average 125 to 250x the weight of the fabric worth of water to dye a garment.
  • More than 3.5 trillion gallons used each year for dyeing. Enough to provide 111.4 billion days of water for the average urban dweller. And this pales in comparison to water needs for growing crops and post consumer use (ie, washing, drying)
  • Aral Sea in Russia used to be world’s 4th largest lake. Today it almost doesn’t exist due to water being diverted for use of the area to grow cotton. The water that remains is poisonous; the land left over is highly contaminated from heavy fertilization and over production.
  • The textile industry is the 2nd largest polluter in China
  • Every year 1.5 million children under 5 die due to lack of clean drinking water. More than 1 Billion people do not have access to clean drinking water.
  • Textile Industry Risks:
    • Rising costs. Right now water is heavily subsidized, particularly for business.
    • Resource allocation choices. For example, in California a few years ago water scarcity led to a choice that had many of the agricultural areas being deprived of water as urban dwellers were chosen to receive the scarce resources.
    • Government action
    • Business risk. In India Coke and Pepsi both temporarily lost their licenses to extract ground water due to overproduction. Communities boycotted the brands.

–          Industry Progress

  • Conventional Methods:
    • Reverse osmosis
    • Reusing water – using the same water from batch to batch
    • Reduce dye liquor ratio
    • Recycled water – using industrial non-potable water
  • Waterless Processes
    • AirDye – the protected technology of Colorep
    • DryDye (Yeg (spelling?) group out of Bangkok, using supercritical CO2 to transfer the dye into the fabric while capturing remaining dye and CO2 to be reused on future garments).

–          AirDye LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)

  • Comparative LCA
    • ENEA: Toward Effluent Zero
      • 10 dyeing and printing plants in Europe that did a study on their environmental impact. This study was used by AirDye as a benchmark against which they could measure their own environmental impact, helping them complete their LCA.
  • Their LCA was conducted by Five Winds International & PE Americas.

–          What can we all do:

  • Leadership
  • Raise Awareness
    • Consumer
    • Retailers (ie, Wal Mart and H&M making commitments to reducing their environmental impacts in China last week at Clinton Global Initiative)
    • Supply Chain – create a point of reference for consumers (such as Bluesign or a 3rd party reviewed LCA)
  • Ask Questions
    • LCA from your supply chain
  • Demand improvements in farming and manufacturing
  • Policy consideration – ie, is water a human right? How should it be priced?
    • We need to understand these initiatives and move towards them in our own ways.

Mark Trotzuk presents ‘Apparel Lifecycle Impacts & Mitigation of Impacts’ // ECO Fashion Week Vancouver

ECO Fashion Week Vancouver, September 29th, 2010 // Day two: Mark Trotzuk

Mark Trotzuk – Apparel Lifecycle Impacts & Mitigation of Impacts 
 

 
BIO //
Mark Trotzuk is the founder and CEO of Boardroom Eco Apparel, an audited socially compliant company and fair trade manufacturer that creates custom lifestyle clothing collections for fashion-conscious people who demand style, comfort and increased functional performance from their everyday clothing. Boardroom Eco Apparel is a Bluesign® brand member. In April of 2008, Mark’s passion for the environment brought him the opportunity to train with Al Gore as a presenter for The Climate Project; a Canadian initiative to increase awareness of Global Warming and Climate Change.www.ecoapparel.ca
NOTES //
  •  “Be careful with what you do, it’s very complicated once you start down this path” – MEC buyer on eco claims for his products. If you are going to be responsible for your product, you have to take all risks associated with every step of your product’s life cycle. 
  • So where to start:
    • Choose a fiber.
      • Need to know every stage of its lifecycle (ie, later, how much energy will be required to upkeep it)
  • You need to learn how to measure your impact. This is the most difficult thing to do in committing to eco.
  • Recycled Polyester can save 40-70% in energy savings over virgin polyester. Even then, great amounts of energy are used in dying, drying and spinning product.
  • 25% of chemicals used worldwide are used for textiles.
  • Eco Apparel has adopted the Swiss Bluesign standard. Consumer Safety; Conserving Resources;  High tech and Comfort. That said, the challenge is that the standard is new and many textiles and supplies haven’t yet been approved.
    • The point with a standard is that ultimately you’re going by the word of your supplier and as much as they say it may be one thing, tests may reveal it’s another.
    • For example, 200 factories in Bangladesh were visited by Bluesign and found that only 3 of them had wastewater treatment plants. All the other 197 were allowing all chemicals used to just flush out into the water system.
    • As for social compliance (ie, working conditions), an audit of the highest integrity is most important.
    • To do a proper carbon footprint for your company you should consider:
      • Electricity
      • Heating
      • Transportation
        • Air travel
        • Commuting
        • Other
  • Misc
    • Paper usage
    • Materials travel
  • Amongst other factors
  • Eco Apparel gives 1% to the planet because some things cannot me mitigated, such as travel for sales…
  • Examples of material energy dependency:
    • Cotton needs to be washed hot and then cycle dried. A study in London suggests that 50% of the products environmental impact comes after the sale of the product
    • Polyester on the other hand can be washed cold and air dried.
    • Over the garment’s lifetime, polyester actually uses ½ the energy as cotton.
    • Approx 3000 recycling companies in North America – for example, collecting and then sending them to third world. 30% of the material is sold as wiping products for auto, cleaning and other industries. Old denim jeans are also being used for home and car insulation.
    • Reusing polyester can be closed loop because it can be recycled back into garments. The challenge is that polyester has a long life cycle so doesn’t come back to it’s starting point often.
    • The Eco Index: www.ecoindexbeta.org. It’s a new but complicated program that is being pioneered by the outdoor industry as an open source, transparent database to be used by industry and industry partners to help create an eco index. They are setting guidelines, indicators and metrics. They are asking every company to take one item from their portfolio and measure them against these metrics in the hope of coming up with a point system that can help rate “eco-index” for different products.
    • To wrap up:
      • There is no solution yet for how to measure a products lifecycle and its impact though it’s getting there. 

Carly Stojsic presents ‘Eco as Movement, Not Trend’ // ECO Fashion Week Vancouver

ECO Fashion Week Vancouver, September 28th, 2010 // Day one: Carly Stojsic, WGSN.

Carly Stojsic – Eco as Movement, Not Trend

Photo Credit: Kris Krüg, www.staticphotography, via Flickr.com

 BIO //
Carly Stojsic is Canada’s Market Editor for Worth Global Style Network and is a freelance trend forecaster for an array of clients. She joined WGSN, the world’s leading online service for global trend analysis, as a Market Editor in December 2007. Her extensive background in sourcing, trend forecasting and as a color specialist greatly augments WGSN’s customized consultancy services in creative intelligence. Click here to read more
NOTES //
  • WGSN predicts fashion internationally… based on their knowledge, Carly tells us about eco movements. Consumers are moving towards a eco friendly lifestyle – home grown food, sustainable power sources.
  • WGSN think tank sees society having less of an identity now. Detroit is considering turning unused city lots into farmland.
  • The majority of designers target 10% of richest consumers. Revolution is required to reach other 90%.
  • Designers as activists.
  • Zero waste designs cut from fabric using all of it; no waste. Recycled denim can be used as insulation in buildings.
  • 2007 London – dissolvable dress showcased so no landfill destination.
  • Denim dye process traditionally uses toxic chemicals, movement towards natural dyes, less harmful chemicals. Natural indigo and fruit dyes used for other fabrics.
  • Many companies creating their own ‘green star’ system to monitor internal greening.
  • True sustainability may be more about recycling synthetics, not using newly produced organic natural fibres. These wear better, wash easier.
  • Bamboo fibres used in Japan. Decomposes harmlessly. Paper fibres used also for lace, knits, unique pressed fabrics.
  • China will ban plastic bags handed out in stores June 2011.
  • Mattel is producing eco accessories for Barbie. !
  • Recycling used by artists, interior design, home fittings.
  • Swaparama clothing swap parties popular. Repair also encouraged.  
  • Bicycling communities popping up internationally. Underground communities hold repair workshops, portable sound systems for bike parties.
  • George from California kayaks to work after years of traffic jams. WGSN asks, ‘Where does he put his coffee?!’

Fashioning the Future 2011 Award // Fashion’s Campaign for Unique

Attention tutors, students, and recent graduates! The Centre for Sustainable Fashion has launched the 2011 Fashioning the Future Award brief.

  • What kind of world are you designing for?
  • What is your motivation as a designer?
  • What is your unique contribution to our collective futures?

To participate, you must register your interest online: www.sustainable-fashion.com from1 October 2010 where you will have access to resources and ideas to stimulate your work.

Here are the submission dates and deadlines:

Round 1 of submission: you will be required to submit your work online by 15 June 2011.

Candidates who are shortlisted from Round 1 will be invited to Round 2!

Round 2 submission deadline: July 2011.

Good luck!

Source: Centre for Sustainable Fashion, London College of Fashion

READ // ECO Fashion, Sass Brown

Well, a new semester is underway! What better way to pump your fashion design/marketing students up on responsible practices in the apparel industry than with a new resource? Check out ECO Fashion by Sass Brown, Resident Director for the Fashion Institute of Technology’s study abroad program in Florence.

Here is the abstract and contents, via Laurence King Publishing:

One of the strongest trends in fashion is the expression of ecological, social and community consciousness through for-profit fashion design corporations, which most recently have moved upscale from organic cotton T-shirts and hippy-ish drawstring pants to high fashion. There is now a wide range of companies offering well designed merchandise, from one-off art, recycled and redesigned clothing, organic and sustainable textiles and garment production, to a range of community and indigenous support cooperatives bridging the gap between traditional craft and high fashion.

This book shows the range of companies making a difference in the area of sustainable design in fashion, exploding the myth that sustainable design is bad design, or at best basic design, by highlighting the range of companies producing desirable and well-designed apparel and accessories with a conscience. It not only demonstrates the range of products available around the globe, but explains the stories behind them and the communities they support, as well as showing how and where they make a difference.

Contents

1 Community and Fair Trade
Alabama Chanin / Amana / El Naturalista / Elena Garcia / Leila Hafzi / Les Fees de Bengale / ModaFusion / Mona Mohanna / Noir / Royah / sense-organics / Shoto Banerji / Taller Flora / Van Markoviec

2 Ecological and Slow Design
Alexandra Faro / Camila Norrback / Celine Faizant / Christine Birkle / Ciel / Emily Katz / Enamore / FIN / Francoise Hoffmann / Linda Loudermilk / Magdalena Schaffrin / RoyalBLUSH / Samant Chauhan / U Roads / YOJ

3 Recycle Reuse
Angela Johnson / Costumisee par Liza / Demano / E2 / Frau Wagner / From Somewhere / Geoffrey B Small / Josh Jakus / Preloved / Rebound Designs / Riedizioni / Stephan Hann / Suitcase / TRAIDremade

4 New Models
aforest-design / Andrea Zittel / Bless / Collection of Hope / Holly McQuillan / Mark Liu
Nau / Rebecca Earley & Kate Goldsworthy / Redesign the World

5 Design Initiatives
Agatha Ruiz de la Prada / Barney’s New York / H&M and DAA – Designers Against Aids / Katharine Hamnett / Zara / Miguel Adrover / Philippe Starck / Salvatore Ferragamo / Vivienne Westwood / Yeohlee Teng / Yves Saint Laurent

Source: Laurence King Publishing

ECO Fashion Week Vancouver // Seminars, Sept. 29-30

We mentioned a while back that SA is a supporting partner of ECO Fashion Week Vancouver, coordinating the conference to promote education. Well, the conference schedule is set, and we are so excited!

Here are the details, plus some abstracts, session learning objectives and recommended reading!

Carly Stojsic // ECO as Movement, not Trend

2:00 pm — Tuesday, September 28th

Join industry expert Carly Stojsic at EFW as she presents key insights and research into ecofashion, forecasting trends for 2011-2012. Ecofashion has grown to encompass a movement within the fashion industry; emphasising the importance of environmental consideration, ecofashion supports a shift in conventional practice. Stojsic is Canada’s Market Editor at Worth Global Style Network (WGSN), and at EFW, she will showcase ecofashion as you’ve never seen it before. Eco as Movement, not Trend will secure the place of ecofashion within the industry

Click here for tickets!

Dr. Andrew Weaver // Global Warming: The Scale of the Problem, the Path to the Solution

10:00 am — Wednesday, September 29th

The foundations of the science of global warming will be presented and a discussion of our present climate will be framed within a historical perspective of the Earth’s climate over the last 800,000 years. The range of projections of climate change over the next century will be summarized and the public confusion arising from the media portrayal of the science and its entry into the political arena will be discussed.  Finally, how various international policy options fit within the framework of necessary actions required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be reviewed.

This talk will be based on the book: Keeping our Cool: Canada in a Warming World.

Learning Objectives:

1) How the media affects public perception of global warming science.

2) Future greenhouse gas emissions need to reduce to zero if we wish to deal with global warming.

3) Dealing with global warming is empowering. Everyone is part of the problem; everyone is part of the solution.

Recommended reading

Keeping our Cool: Canada in a Warming World, Andrew Weaver

Click here for tickets!

Mark Trotzuk and Paul Raybin // Lifecycles in Fashion

12:00 pm — Wednesday, September 29th

            1. Mark Trotzuk: Apparel Lifecycle Impacts & Mitigation of Impacts

The Lifecycle Stages are discreet intervals along the life of a finished product—and the materials which make up the product—where environmental impacts are realized. These stages include the processes of raw materials, manufacturing, delivering, using and managing the end of life for products. It is important to consider different ways of mitigating these impacts.

Learning Objectives:

1) Stages of the lifecycle of an apparel item

2) Impacts of the lifecycle of an apparel item

3) Mitigating the impacts during the lifecycle of an apparel item.

            2. Paul Raybin: Lifecycle Assessments   – Water & Textiles

Discussion on water use in the textile industry: creating awareness and helping people understand impact of the textile industry on water use and pollution. Paul will explain the various points where water use and pollution are factors in the lifecycle of a garment and opportunities for water-saving technologies and practices.

Learning Objectives:

1) Further the understanding of life cycled assessment with particular assessment of water use in the textile industry.

2) Provide designer options on how to reduce water use into their choices of textile, dye, and decoration.

Recommended reading

When the Rivers Run Dry: Water–The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century, Fred Pearce

No Impact Man, Colin Beavan

Click here for tickets!

Summer Rayne Oakes // Eco-Trends: The Art & Science of Sourcing Sustainably

10:00 am — Thursday, September 30th

Eco-Trends: The Art & Science of Sourcing Sustainably

A bird’s eye view on defining sustainability; international industry metrics; and the latest technologies to help designers and retail sourcing specialists source more sustainably. Talk includes a look into the source4style.com, a new B2B online marketplace that allows designers and retail sourcing specialists to search, compare and purchase more sustainable materials and services from a network of global suppliers – as well as some of the exciting sustainable trends that are surfacing.

Learning Objectives:

1) How to locate and source more sustainable materials for your collections

2) What current industry metrics are available to aid designers and brands in assessing their environmental and social impact

3) What we can learn and predict from crowdsourcing a sustainable sourcing community

4) Upcoming trends in sustainable materials, sourcing and style.

Recommended reading

Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty, Summer Rayne Oakes

Click here for tickets!

PANEL DISCUSSION [ @Tradeshow] // Digging Deeper: Audience Q&A

3:00 pm — Thursday, September 30th

Digging Deeper is an opportunity for tradeshow attendees to speak directly with key panel members and address any questions or concerns they might have coming out of the conference. Panel members will take questions from the audience to expand upon ideas presented throughout the conference and continue the conversation, investigating how these ideas are translated on the ground.

  • Myriam Laroche, President, ECO Fashion Week Vancouver
  • Summer Rayne Oakes, Source4Style
  • Jeff Garner, Prophetik
  • Paul Raybin, AirDye®
  • Mark Trotzuk, Boardroom Eco Apparel
  • Lindsay Coulter, David Suzuki’s Queen of Green

Visit ECO Fashion Week Vancouver for ticket information, and to learn more.

ATTEND// Organic Exchange Sustainable Textiles Conference

Organic Exchange is presenting this year’s Sustainable Textiles conference in New York on October  27th-28th.  Check out the plenary speakers!

Yvon Chouinard | Founder & Chairman, Patagonia

Eileen Fisher | Founder, Eileen Fisher

Tensie Whelan | President, Rainforest Alliance

The workshops and discussions include:

The list of companies attending:

  • Anvil Knitwear
  • Bergman Rivera
  • C&A Buying
  • Chico’s FAS
  • Control Union Certification
  • Deckers Outdoor Corporation/Simple Shoes
  • Disney Consumer Products
  • Egedeniz Tekstil
  • Eileen Fisher
  • Esquel
  • Evolve
  • Fountain Set, Ltd.
  • Gap, Inc.
  • Genencor
  • Green Textile
  • Greensource
  • G-Star
  • H&M Hennes & Maurtitz AB
  • Hemp Fortex
  • Hermann Buhler AG
  • Huntsman
  • ICCO
  • Kowa, Inc
  • L.L. Bean
  • Lenzing
  • Li & Fung
  • Mountain Equipment Co-op
  • Nike
  • Nordstrom
  • Orta Anadolu
  • Patagonia
  • Portico Home + Spa
  • Pratibha Syntex
  • PT Indorama
  • Remei AG/bioRe
  • Shell Foundation
  • Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative
  • Thai Alliance Textile Co., Ltd.
  • Vertical Knits SA DE CV
  • Walmart Stores, Inc.

Clearly, this is a major industry event!  There is a registration fee for this conference.  To learn more click here!

WATCH// Otto von Busch Hacking Design

Earlier this year, the SA team had the chance to watch Otto von Busch speak at the FEI conference in London.  We were so inspired by him and his passion.  Mary wrote about his presentation that same night saying that it “was absolutely fabulous, and when it came time for Otto to close his presentation, nobody wanted it to end!”

Today, I came across a video of his presentation at the RSA.  Enjoy!