Sustainability Pulse #30
Sustainability Trends & News Worth Exploring — April 3rd, 2022
Fashion must end toxic relationship with economic growth
A new report commissioned by the European Environmental Bureau says that only a radical rethink of its economic model can curb the fashion industry's sustainability problem.
Using the concept of the 'wellbeing economy' – an umbrella term to describe growth-alternative economic concepts – the research identified four guiding principles for building a post-growth direction for the fashion sector so that it works in the interest of the common good:
1. Establishing limits to reduce how much is produced and consumed in line with planetary boundaries
2. Promoting fairness to ensure social justice globally
3. Creating healthy and just governance to make sure the transition is inclusive and participatory
4. Embracing new exchange systems where clothing and textiles are provided in ways that do not depend on overproduction and overconsumption
How to be a sustainable fashion lover – and why it matters
Upcycling, visible mending and organizing are among the ways fashionistas are giving their wardrobes a longer life. Bel Jacobs explores how caring for our clothes also means caring for the planet.
EU unveils 'sustainable' fashion push
The EU on Wednesday announced proposals to crack down on "fast fashion" by making clothing easier to repair and more durable as part of a push to bolster environmental standards.
"It's time to end the model of 'take, make, break, and throw away' that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy," EU Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said.
Taipei Fashion Week FW 2022 Opening Show Explores the Future of Sustainability
Taipei Fashion Week is proud to have opened the Autumn/Winter 2022 season on March 24th with Taipei Sustainable Collections, a group show centred on 6 young designers dedicated to sustainable fashion design.
Now in its second season, the Taipei Sustainable Collections match Taiwan's top textile factories with designers who hold a humanity-first approach to design. The goal is twofold: showing Taiwan's strength as a global hub for innovative eco-friendly textile manufacturing while providing a vision of the creative possibilities of sustainable fashion. Devoted to the environment, Taiwan hopes to highlight its manufacturing power and offer its revolutionary textiles to global designers so that we all move forward with less burden on the earth.
Following the Taipei Sustainable Collections, Taipei Fashion Week will continue through March 31st. To learn more about this season's runway collections, head to tpefw.com.
What sustainable fashion can learn from childrenswear
When UK-based entrepreneur Ryan Mario Yasin's nephew Vigo was born, he gifted the baby some clothes. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, they didn't fit. "Children often grow seven sizes in their first two years," says Yasin.
Frustrated by this built-in disposability, Yasin created Petit Pli, applying origami and aeronautical engineering principles to pleated garments so they could "grow" with the wearer. The brand's "newborn" clothes are suitable from birth to one year, while its "little human" range fits from nine months to four years.
The Fashion Industry Has a Sustainability Problem. These Brands Are Addressing It.
The exact negative environmental impact of the fashion industry remains largely unknown despite the facts and figures you've seen online, but one thing's for sure: it's a big problem. The problem is so widespread that fashion brands are quickly developing strategies to shrink their footprints, from the use of bio-based materials to recycling initiatives to "rent-the-runway" concepts. In fact, we've spotlighted brands in the outdoor industry with similar initiatives, but the fashion industry is quickly gaining ground.
Could microplastics in human blood pose a health risk?
Plastics are everywhere. Although, in theory, much of it can be recycled, a lot of it ends up in landfills, or worse, in watercourses and marine ecosystems.
Nearly 8 in 10 people's blood contains plastic particles, breakthrough research finds.
How To Shop For Ethical, Sustainable Underwear + 12 Top Brands
Underwear is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about sustainable swaps. But like anything else in your closet, your undies have an environmental impact of their own! Here are a few ways to shop for underwear that's a bit easier on the planet, and 12 ethical brands to trust with your intimates.
Fashion Tech Firm Devoted to Avatar Creation Bods Gets $5.6M in Funding
Karlie Kloss is among the investors in the fashion tech company established by former Tom Ford model Christine Marzano and devoted to avatar creation.
Bods launched in 2021 with its first fashion tie-in with Khaite, its technology directly embedded in the New York-based brand's e-commerce site, a first for the industry. Bod is the name given to the photorealistic avatars users are required to create the first time they sign up for the service.
Tidal Wave of Textiles: More Tear than Wear in the Fashion Industry
Estimates from consulting firm McKinsey & Company and the World Economic Forum suggest that the number of garments produced each year has doubled since 2000. This speaks directly to big companies and their inventory turnover. Do you have room for seventy new pairs of jeans in your closet? According to a Bloomberg study, “The U.S. throws away the equivalent of about 70 pairs of pants per person in waste from clothes and footwear each year.” But do we all really buy 70 pairs of jeans? Most certainly not. This production increase indicates large amounts of excess inventory.
When most people think of fast fashion, they think of companies like Shein. An assistant professor of apparel studies at the University of Delaware, Sheng Lu claims, “Fast fashion companies like Shein can reduce unwanted clothing if made efficiently."
The Patagonia vest endures in San Francisco tech circles, despite ridicule
Office workers coming back in cities like New York and San Francisco also mean the return of something else - the Patagonia fleece vest. The garment has long been associated with Wall Street and Silicon Valley. NPR's Bobby Allyn examines how the fashion choice has come to represent the excess of the industries.
Green Job Board
Sustainability Intern - Sustainability
Company: Thornton Tomasetti
Location: Portland, Maine, United States
The Role
We have an opportunity for a Sustainability Intern or Co-op for our Sustainability Practice.
Responsibilities
· Responsible for energy analysis, data visualization, tool development, and holistic sustainability considerations.
· Performing whole building Life Cycle Analysis for various projects
Assisting with analysis and documentation of various certification programs, including LEED, WELL, Fitwell, Passive House, SITES, Living Building Challenge and others
· Development of project deliverables, including but not limited to project reports and memos.
Participate in project meetings, workshops and charrettes
(US Locations Only) In our culture of collaboration and innovation, we find we do our best work when we are together while minimizing the risks of COVID-19. For new hires at Thornton Tomasetti, we require COVID-19 vaccination to the extent allowed by access and permitted by government jurisdiction in your area and barring any religious or medically approved exemption.
P.S. Want to get more out of your downtime?