Sustainability

Impact of the
Textiles Industry
2
 Sustainability
“development… that
meets the needs of the
present without
compromising the ability
of future generations to
meet their own needs”
1987 Brundtland report

3
 Ethical
“Being in accordance with
the accepted principles of
right and wrong that
govern the conduct of a
profession.”

4
 The ‘Sustainability stool’
The sustainability stool or three pillars of
Sustainability.

Today, sustainability emphasises the

concept of the interconnectedness of
environmental, economic and social
dimensions. Thinking about the
environment is important, but for a product
to be sustainable, it needs to take into
account how people are affected and it
needs to make economic sense.
5
1.
Social
– social and ethical
impacts – health,
welfare, education,
law and justice and
social relationship of
all people affected
 “

7
 Re-cap - Social
The social aspect of
sustainability is about ensuring
the needs of people are
concerned and addresses.
The safety and health of all
people is important, whether
they are the workers, retailers,
partners, designers, suppliers,
consumers who use the
products, or those who live
near the factories or
8
 Example of
good
social?
9
2.
Environmental
–The environment is
our air, water, land
animals and plant
growth.
 “

11
 Re-cap - Environmental
Every product we buy consumes
these resources and can impact
negatively on the environment.
Looking after the environment entails
reducing the impacts of materials
sourcing, conserving and recycling
resources, reducing waste and
reducing the impacts of product use
and disposal. When designing and
using product we need to minimise
our disruption of ecological systems
both large and small.

12
 Example of
good
Environmental?

13
3.
Economic
– costs and benefits,
financial stability and
longevity, ethics, fair
pay and workers
rights
 Economic
Economic growth is important for
nations, companies and individuals. But
to contribute to sustainability, economic
growth needs to occur without negatively
impacting on community wellbeing or
environmental integrity. It is also
important that sustainable products are
profitable, so the environmental and
social principles can be ongoing,
supported by financial stability and
growth for all involved. Workers should
be paid fairly for their efforts – you can
see this is closely connected to social
sustainability as it relates to working and
15 living conditions.
 Example of
good
Economic?
16
 A PRODUCTS
LIFE CYCLE
17
 Products life cycle

Vestibulum congue

18
 Impacts differ depending
on the product
The level of environmental impact differs at each
stage, depending on the type of product being
made. Textile products largest environmental
impact is usually the ‘use’ stage, due to the
repeated washing, and the amount of energy,
water and detergents this uses. The largest
impact is the ‘use’ stage with the washing also
depends if they are washing in hot or cold water,
as hot water greatly increases the amount of
energy required, and whether they are line dried
or machine dried. Another problem is the ever-
increasing quantities of textile products
19 consumed and discarded in the product disposal
 ‘End of life stage’
Another problem is ‘The product
the ever-increasing disposal’ stage is
quantities of textile impacted by the
products consumed length of a product’s
and discarded in the life – and becomes
product disposal obsolescent (style,
stage. technical or
functional)

20
 Life Cycle
Assessment
A life cycle analysis or assessment
(LCA) is a very structured and
scientific way of assessing the
impact of a product and comparing it
with other products made for the
same purpose. Detailed research is
carried out on all stages of a
product’s life – the materials
sourcing and processing, production
processes and systems,
transportation, product use and
disposal. It accurately measures the
inputs (materials, energy, fuel, water
21 etc) and the outputs (pollution
22
YOUR TASK
 You are to find a
Sustainably produced
textile product and
create a swing tag to
educate buyers
Examples: http://www.designlife-cycle.com

24
25
26