Clothing Care – The Palgrave Handbook of Sustainability in Fashion

Kinga Zablocka on 12. januar 2025

Forfattere: Ingrid Haugsrud, Ingun Grimstad Klepp and Kirsi Laitala

Abstract

The impact of the fashion industry on the environment is undoubtedly size-able. In response, the last decade has seen various changes in the fashion industry landscape, from new digital technologies that enhance zero waste productions, the emergence of the digital platform economy, to the development of innovative materials. This Handbook captures key innovations within the fashion industry and brings together work from leading academics, but also practitioners in the field. Offering a comprehensive and global perspective, it covers core topics such as: technological innovations and their impact on sustainable fashion, alternative models of consumption, the circular economy, the role of activism and the future of sustainable fashion. With clear managerial implications, chapters uniquely supplement conceptual work with short practitioner-led case studies that bridge the gap between theory and practice, making this a valuable resource for students and researchers.

Klikk her for lenke til boka og teksten (springer.com)

Decentering Durability: Decarbonizing and Decolonizing Ideas and Practices of Long-Lasting Clothes

Kinga Zablocka on 2. desember 2024

Authors: Kate Fletcher and Anna Fitzpatrick

Abstract

Durability is widely recognized as a key feature of materially resource-ful, lower-carbon clothing lives. Yet most of what is known about long-lasting garments is rooted in Euro-American ways of thinking, andreproduces its structures, priorities, values and resulting actions. Thispaper brings a decolonial concern to understandings of clothing durabil-ity to enlarge the conceptual boundaries around it, including those thatbreak apart dominant ideas and approaches to clothing durability inorder to show difference. It presents both the “workings” and the“findings” of a small research project, ‘Decentering Durability’, examin-ing both how research is conducted as well as what is uncovered at the intersection of decolonizing and resource-efficient, decarbonizing agen-das for fashion.

Click here for the full article (tandfonline.com) or contact the authors for a copy.

Holding on or letting go: Conflicting narratives of product longevity

Erlend Hua Lun Kok on 21. august 2024

Forfattere: Lisbeth Løvbak Berg, Marie Hebrok

Abstract

Increasing product longevity is seen as an effective way to reduce consumption within the circular economy. This paper explores narratives of product longevity, focusing on textiles, household appliances, and furniture as expressed by Norwegian business representatives and consumers. The study reveals dominant narratives of physical and emotional durability among businesses. Conversely, consumers emphasise managing consumption volumes and their relationship with products based on use contexts and life events. While both groups recognise the importance of physical durability, there’s a disconnect regarding how emotional attachment can be created between user and product, and the significance of production volumes. The study suggests that narratives of product longevity, shift focus from production to consumption, distancing from questions of volume and growth and that efforts should take ‘life durability’ of products into account when designing strategies and interventions aimed at extending product lifespans, including business models and policy directly targeting lower production volumes.

For å lese eller laste ned hele artikkelen, klikk her (sciencedirect.com).

Å forestille seg framtid(er): Utvinnelse av framstillinger av bærekraftig forbruk

Erlend Hua Lun Kok on 21. august 2024

Studien handler om å utvinne fortiden for bedre å forstå hvordan vi forestiller oss og former fremtiden. Prosjektnotatet er en leveranse fra arbeidspakke 1: «Mine» i forskningsprosjektet IMAGINE: Contested Futures of Sustainability. Arbeidspakkens formål er å konstruere et konseptuelt rammeverk basert på Paul Ricoeurs studie av forestillinger, og å samle data om fortidens imaginære forestillinger. For å identifisere dominerende fremtidsforestillinger fremhevet WP1 det diakrone aspektet til det imaginære som både hjelper å bedre forstå hvordan tidligere, nåværende og fremtidige tider henger sammen og samtidig begrenser eller muliggjør måter å tenke på fremtiden. Ricoeuriansk tilnærming til det imaginære er Ariadnes tråd i den konseptuelle delen, mens empirien følger den tredelte forbrukstilnærmingen til IMAGINE fokusert på å spise, kle seg og bevege seg. Ved å kombinere teoretiske og empiriske perspektiver utviklet vi et rammeverk for analyse av datamaterialet, der selvrefleksjon, gjensidighet, dialog og re-figurasjon spiller en sentral rolle.

Studien presenterer det imaginære funnet i minst 10 kjente filmer, 10 anerkjente romaner og tegneserier og 10 reklamer fra de siste 30 år, som eksplisitt omhandler den bærekraftige fremtiden (30 totalt). Videre gir notatet en analog analyse av policydokumenter (white papers, strategipapirer, policy-rapporter) og forretningsstrategidokumenter fra tre tidsperioder (1980-2000-2020) for hver av våre tre tilnærminger det vil si spising, påkledning og flytting (30 totalt).

The way forward for WOOLUME

Erlend Hua Lun Kok on 21. mai 2024

Summary

This note looks at knowledge transference between a country of high wool utilisation (Norway) and a country of low wool utilisation (Poland). The findings that are presented here, are collected through semi-structured interviews, via Zoom, in person and also with one written response. All interviewees were project partners. Economics and scale are important themes, especially for moving forward with better use of local wool. As identified in other projects, things need to happen in the right order and there must be an economic fundament that ensures a professionalism and not that what one does is done on a hobby basis. The skills gap is an important issue if there is to be a future for the wool industry in Europe, and this must be addressed at national and EU level, this is not something a project or industry can fix on their own.

Click here to read full report.

The way forward for WOOLUME

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 9. mai 2024

Summary

This note looks at knowledge transference between a country of high wool utilisation (Norway) and a country of low wool utilisation (Poland). The findings that are presented here, are collected through semi-structured interviews, via Zoom, in person and also with one written response. All interviewees were project partners. Economics and scale are important themes, especially for moving forward with better use of local wool. As identified in other projects, things need to happen in the right order and there must be an economic fundament that ensures a professionalism and not that what one does is done on a hobby basis. The skills gap is an important issue if there is to be a future for the wool industry in Europe, and this must be addressed at national and EU level, this is not something a project or industry can fix on their own.

Click here to read the full report.

The Impact of Modes of Acquisition on Clothing Lifetimes

tobiasson on 14. februar 2024

Forfattere: Kirsi Laitala, Ingun Grimstad Klepp og Lisbeth Løvbak Berg

Abstract:

Reducing the environmental impact of clothing is dependent on a reduction of the produced volume. This chapter discusses how mode and volumes of acquisition impact the lifetimes of clothing. Based on our scoping review and reanalysis of international wardrobe audit data, we find that the number of
garments that are acquired has most impact, making clothing utilization an important concept. Secondhand garments are used fewer times than new items, and gifts less than self-chosen items. Self-made clothing was worn less than tailored garments, showing that product personalisation can both shorten
and increase lifetimes. Slowing down the rate of acquisition and increasing the lifetime with the first user should be the focus of policy development.

To read the full chapter, contact Kirsi Laitala kirsil@oslomet.no or the publisher of Recycling and Lifetime Management in the Textile and Fashion Sector.

Dypdykk i materialstrømmene for tekstiler fra husholdninger i Norge

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 21. desember 2023

Forfattere: Frode Syversen, Ingun Grimstad Klepp, Olav Skogesal, Kristiane Rabben, Anna Schytte Sigaard, Lisbeth Løvbak Berg og Kirsi Laitala

Sammendrag

Ved å analysere tre ulike materialstrømmer besvares FoU-prosjektet Wasted Textiles’ spørsmål «Hvor mye tekstiler, spesielt syntetiske, kvitter norske forbrukere seg med». I perioden 2021-2023 har prosjektet analysert prøver av tekstiler fra tekstil- og avfallsstrømmer fra Oslo, Vestfold og Romerike. Basert på resultater fra Wasted Textiles’ analyser, Mepex’ lukkanalysedatabase for husholdningsavfall, statistikk over mengder restavfall og tekstiler samlet inn av ideelle organisasjoner, er det beregnet nasjonale tall for mengde tekstiler, av tekstilprodukter, tilstand og andel syntetiske fibre i de tre strømmene.

Klikk her for å lese hele rapporten (mepex.no).

Regulating Fast Fashion out of Fashion

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 10. september 2023

Authors: Ingun Grimstad Klepp and Kerli Kant Hvass

Abstract

Among sustainable fashion and textile themes, product durability has recently come into focus within EU policy making. The dominant understanding is that increased textile lifespan will reduce environmental impacts, but this intrinsic link is not supported by research. The volume of clothing produced poses the greatest environmental burdens. Increased clothes availability leads to longer lifespan due to reduced utilization. To reduce the environmental impact of increased textile volumes measures should be expanded to encompass not only product design, life-prolonging, and end-of-life strategies, but also the volume of products to market. This concept paper contributes to the debate on how to address the growing amount of textile waste by applying the knowledge gained from consumer research regarding clothing use and proposing a regulatory measure called Targeted Producer Responsibility (TPR). The central method of TPR is waste analyses which relies on actual use – or non-use – of products as the starting point for eco-modulated fees. TPR reverses EPR and uses waste for overproduction knowledge, thus proposing a tool that can potentially reduce the total environmental impact of textiles.

Click here to download and read the full article.

Click here to download and read the full conference proceedings (aalto.fi)

Flawed or redundant: products with long lifespans against the odds

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 10. september 2023

Authors: Harald Throne-Holst and Kirsi Laitala

Abstract

Many strategies are proposed that should enable the consumers to keep using the products for longer, but there is less research on which and how consumer practices contribute to longer lifespans. In this paper we focus on two specific, distinct ways of reaching long lifespans: 1) retaining redundant products even though they are not needed or used, and 2) keeping on using flawed products despite they no longer functioning, fitting, or delivering the expected service level. In the former, the products are passive while in the latter they remain in active use and thus reach longer service life. The discussion is based on six focus groups conducted in connection with the project LASTING. The overarching theme was product longevity of three product groups: electronics, textiles, and furniture. Our analysis points to five categories of explanations for products that are either kept despite the lack of any intention of using them again or retained in active use despite flaws: Economic, Ethical, Social, Emotional, and Intentions. It remains important to focus on active service life and various ways to promote it to reduce the environmental and climate impacts of consumption. The role of each of the five categories will be discussed, as well as implications for sustainability and policy options.

Click here to download and read the full article.

Click here to download and read the full conference proceedings (aalto.fi).